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Magazines on the iPad suck
- Thread starter FooArk
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Many magazines give you the iPad version free if you subscribe to the print version. If the particular magazine you like does not offer that, then that's on the publisher. I think most people agree that the iPad is the superior platform for reading magazines. For an excellent example of how well a magazine can be done on the iPad, see Wired. You can get a free download the first time you use it. Also, EGM is doing a weekly mini magazine for the iPad, which is actually 100% free right now while they are in beta.
Tthose which do that won't see my money. Some "get it" though, for example The Economist has a great iPad app that brings you all the print magazine contest... And is completely free to print subscribers.
BTW, your categorical title is misleading. Some magazines certainly may suck, but the implicatiion of your title that all magazines suck is false since some do not.
I can't agree more, Wired is pretty cool on the iPad.
I subscribe to a few Conde Nast magazines, they publish Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ and such, they started offering you the digital version for free if you are a print subscriber.
Hearst has a few that work like that too.
A couple months back I decided to try my old account info for the Economist. I'm blaming Y2K bug, but I used to subscribe from around 1998-2000 or so, before I let the subscription lapse because I was finding it hard to find time to read the magazine every week. And for the price, I needed to.
Lo and behold, it still works. Nice to read it on the iPad. I have another 4 subscriptions on the iPad for other magazines too. I think I may see about transitioning another magazine to the format too.
I really like the Newsstand interface from iOS5. More than having 6 different apps for magazines anyway. I just wonder what the pricing will look like...
The problem with magazines on the iPad is that they all have different UIs. The user gets confused and there is no "standard" magazine platform. It will be interesting to see how Newsstand handles this and if Apple offers a magazine template platform of some sort.
I was reading the new issue of Wired on my iPad in bed last night. They had a story about the group Battles and how they made their new album. There was a full track from the album embedded right into the magazine. I love checking out bands I've never heard of, so I took a listen and ended up loving the track. Went directly over to iTunes and downloaded the album, and got right back to reading. It was ready for me to listen to on the train on my iPhone this morning.
This is the kind of seamlessness I'm starting to love about Apple, and Wired fits into to that beautifully. They definitely get the UI part of it right and a lot of others are copying them. I think there is room for it to get even better, but they're on the right track. Even the ads look pretty amazing in iPad magazines. I tend to actually pay attention to them a lot more than I would in a print magazine.
This is the kind of seamlessness I'm starting to love about Apple, and Wired fits into to that beautifully. They definitely get the UI part of it right and a lot of others are copying them. I think there is room for it to get even better, but they're on the right track. Even the ads look pretty amazing in iPad magazines. I tend to actually pay attention to them a lot more than I would in a print magazine.
Got a great deal on The Economist - a dollar an issue (print) and the digital versions are also included.
Automobile Magazone is incredible on the iPad...and free to a current subscriber. So much more content. And the Automobile Magazine "News" app also is incredible with video reviews that rival what you would see on Top Gear.
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They look beautiful on mine.
They look magical on mine.
i like the magazines a get on the iPad, looks good, can carry them where ever i go and they don't clutter the house or end up in the dump
This.
It's great to not have to worry about getting rid of all the old piles of magazines around the house, but still be able to read your old issues on demand.