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Wired Launches iPad Magazine App with Help from Adobe

Good god people are impatient these days...

Look, everything we've seen to date in terms of magazine and newspaper applications are very much version 1 and that includes pricing. Even now these publications have no idea what their potential readership is on these devices, how best to reach people, what prices people will or won't pay etc. If you're going to invest in producing an application and content then you're going to try to make damn sure that the first version pays for itself while you (and everyone else) gets some market data on which to base future plans. Certainly no-one is going to do anything that may damage or even destroy their business model if it takes off so you can expect caution from the establishment.

Subscription services, combined subscriptions, ad-supported models and much more besides will come in time. But do try to consider that these companies are taking their first steps into this world and there WILL need to be a few goes at this until someone gets it right and once they do everyone else will follow.

Personally I'd say it's more than likely that breakthrough will come from an independent newcomer to the scene. A few friends with the relevant skills (graphics design, journalist, developer) coming together to produce... uh, I guess it'd be a cross between magazine and blog at a very low price with minimal overheads. Again though, all that takes time and we'll just have to see what happens but patience may be a virtue worth exploring.
 
fosman said:
This is just rude in my eyes, an insult to long term subscribers and a backwards business model.
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Err - no. What kind of business model is that? Cost = £500+monthly magazine costs, Revenue = ~£66/year, device lifetime 2 years?
No wonder you have adverts and probably selling of your details too to increase the return to be profitable.

I'm also from the UK, can you tell me which businesses provide this business model you've quoted?
 
Piarco said:
Well that looks very slick - can't wait to see what other magazines bring to the table, um, iPad.
But the price...$4.99/£3.50? A little bit outside of the sweet spot to make it a monthly purchase IMHO. If if was nearer £2 (approx $2.90) I'd maybe buy it some months, even cheaper and it would be a regular purchase...
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But a hard copy of Wired is what - £4? Although I know there is a world of difference between digital and hardcopy content (printing costs, distribution etc) and I know Apple take a 30% on the sale? so its not a direct comparison. But you're right, a sweet spot between the internet (free) and hardcopy sales (£4) at around £2 would push a much higher uptake of digital sales.

Having said that, the guardian raises interesting points about circulation in the UK. Would you be more or less tempted by a digital copy on your iPad than the hardcopy from *ugh* WH Smiths? I can't see them selling 100,000 digital copies annually in the UK alone, when there’s not even million iPads in the world.
 
smiddlehurst said:
Good god people are impatient these days...

Look, everything we've seen to date in terms of magazine and newspaper applications are very much version 1 and that includes pricing. Even now these publications have no idea what their potential readership is on these devices, how best to reach people, what prices people will or won't pay etc. If you're going to invest in producing an application and content then you're going to try to make damn sure that the first version pays for itself while you (and everyone else) gets some market data on which to base future plans. Certainly no-one is going to do anything that may damage or even destroy their business model if it takes off so you can expect caution from the establishment.

Subscription services, combined subscriptions, ad-supported models and much more besides will come in time. But do try to consider that these companies are taking their first steps into this world and there WILL need to be a few goes at this until someone gets it right and once they do everyone else will follow.
...
Click to expand...

This why I am saying NO, to any magazine that cost more then $2 an issue...
 
Each Month!

Six bucks [Australian] a month... um... nup.
Price is not in the sweet spot I'm affraid...

8 bucks for the app...and max 2.50 a month per issue... and a dollar extra for 'bonus' content or video. [I'm talking quality by the way and not some 'cow dung' product advertorials that spruik that they are content....]

Just Do it!

Same goes for newspapers... no more that 2 bucks MAX!] a month for e-News is about right for the sweet spot... weekly a dollar max... daily... {you're kidding right?} :D
 
smiddlehurst said:
Good god people are impatient these days...

Look, everything we've seen to date in terms of magazine and newspaper applications are very much version 1 and that includes pricing. Even now these publications have no idea what their potential readership is on these devices, how best to reach people, what prices people will or won't pay etc. If you're going to invest in producing an application and content then you're going to try to make damn sure that the first version pays for itself while you (and everyone else) gets some market data on which to base future plans. Certainly no-one is going to do anything that may damage or even destroy their business model if it takes off so you can expect caution from the establishment.

Subscription services, combined subscriptions, ad-supported models and much more besides will come in time. But do try to consider that these companies are taking their first steps into this world and there WILL need to be a few goes at this until someone gets it right and once they do everyone else will follow.

Personally I'd say it's more than likely that breakthrough will come from an independent newcomer to the scene. A few friends with the relevant skills (graphics design, journalist, developer) coming together to produce... uh, I guess it'd be a cross between magazine and blog at a very low price with minimal overheads. Again though, all that takes time and we'll just have to see what happens but patience may be a virtue worth exploring.
Click to expand...

That is the problem. They don't really want this medium to succeed, just like the record industry didn't want to go digital. They are gonna fight this tooth and nail for as long as they possibly can. These old industries can't stand change. I think your EXACTLY RIGHT about a newcomer coming along to wipe the floor with these old farts, like the way iTunes has done with the music industry.
 
iPad Wired Mag isn't a copy and paste version of the paper magazine like GQ and Vanity Fair... This cost them money to develop and will cost money to do monthly issues just as it does paper version. With this version of Wired, YOU'LL NEVER GET THIS EXPERIENCE IN THE PAPER VERSION...

I'm sure and confident we'll see a digital subscription soon and they'll probably merge it with the paper subscription. I know Time and Popular Science is planning on doing this. SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO PAY $5 THEN WAIT FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION OPTION. It won't be sooner than you think but it will come eventually.
 
arn said:
I'm not one to complain about app prices, but it does seem strange they are charging for it. I mean it has a bunch of ads in it as well. You'd think they'd go for a larger readership.

arn
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. The prices are outrageous at $4.99 to begin with, then if they have advertising in the issues as well it really become ridiculous. Very disappointing.
 
We Should All Be Happy!

If you've seen the other magazines on the iPad which are nothing but cut and paste version of their paper sister, you should be happy Wired came up with this bad boy. This is what a digital magazine should be. For a price of a McDonald's meal that's not bad. Hopefully and I'm sure they have a subscription option in the future.

Wired's iPad mag will be the magazine all digital mag will be measured against.
 
I was hoping that Wired would get it a bit more than other magazines but I guess I had too much hope. I'm not paying 4.99 an issue when I get the paper for 10 dollars a year.

Get the prices right or the magazines will continue to die.
 
lifeinhd said:
I don't understand how this is anything they couldn't do on a computer before.
Click to expand...

So this means you know absolutely nothing about the iPad and its design, nor a thing about iTunes and how its properties are distributed. Time to do a wee bit of homework there, bud.
 
Here We Go... Here We Go...!Here We Go...!Here We Go...!

Wurm5150 said:
iPad Wired Mag isn't a copy and paste version of the paper magazine like GQ and Vanity Fair... This cost them money to develop and will cost money to do monthly issues just as it does paper version. With this version of Wired, YOU'LL NEVER GET THIS EXPERIENCE IN THE PAPER VERSION...

I'm sure and confident we'll see a digital subscription soon and they'll probably merge it with the paper subscription. I know Time and Popular Science is planning on doing this. SO IF YOU DON'T LIKE TO PAY $5 THEN WAIT FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION OPTION. It won't be sooner than you think but it will come eventually.
Click to expand...

We understand developer and content costs... that's all assumed... but don't do a Murdoch - 'Heed my Greed' on us because it will fail before the horses even get to the post.

You got to remember we pay for data access... then do some cost modelling based on an end user having two or more paid subscriptions... if the subscription costs blow out then no one will be interested..
For example say 2 newspapers, 2 magazines and apps +other...
Each costing 5 bucks...20 bucks a month at least + game-adge...
The you blokes chuck in advertisements which chew up bandwidth/user experience/consumption/interput the experience.... then it's over.
 
Subscriptions and I'm in. If I need to download every issue as separate app = no thanks. Should be something like iBooks app. And I can sync it to up to 5 iPads right? That means everyone at home can read it without waiting.
 
Morky said:
Adobe makes nothing from content viewers such as Flash. They earn all their money developing content creation tools, such as, er, Flash.
Click to expand...

They also invented Postscript and the Portable Document Format (PDF, created with Adobe Acrobat) - you know, those technologies that are built deeply into NeXTstep (Display Postscript) and now Mac OS X (PDF).
 
zi too am a long time Wired subscriber and as a subscriber you should just get a log on to get it as part of your subscription. An added reason to subscribe to a magazine and give the option to get a digital or paper or both with different cost for each option. A digital with video ad's would be able to get high ad rates from companies a bet to cover cost's.



fosman said:
This is starting to frustrate me now.


Why now, as a subscriber, am I expected to pay for the means of delivery, AS WELL AS pay again for the same content, albiet with some moving images.

Conde Nast have an opportunity to totally corner the magazine market while slash their delivery costs. They should be writing me to me saying "Hi, here's a choice for you. You can continue to receive your magazine subscription via post as normal - or we'll send you an iPad for free and you can move to our digital subscription. Or pay £2 extra for postage and get both. Your call".

Instead I get - "Hey, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE drop 500 notes on a delivery device so we can charge you twice for the same content, expose you to more of other magazines, show you more adverts and make you pay double. You have to, because, like, we're all in trouble if you don't."

This is just rude in my eyes, an insult to long term subscribers and a backwards business model.

f
Click to expand...
 
as a long-time Wired subscriber it would be nice to get some sort of package deal for print and digital. if this is their proposed model of distribution they are in for a big letdown (especially with the jail breakers)
 
Marcusjlang said:
Very beautiful, pretty crazy though that it's bigger than half a gig (527 MBs). Seriously, think about it, that's the size of 5 or 6 albums with a good quality rip.

And on a side note... it's BS that they expect people to actually pay full retail for this... they are encouraging piracy.
Click to expand...

Oh man... you're right about the price. I thought the $4.99 was a one time thing. I would pay for a $4.99 + $.99 monthly, but I'm not going to pay $4.99 each time!

That's insane. The print edition of Wired with a 1 year subscription is $10 for the whole year.

Surely they'll have some sort of compromise here.
 
fosman said:
This is starting to frustrate me now.

Conde Nast have an opportunity to totally corner the magazine market while slash their delivery costs. They should be writing me to me saying "Hi, here's a choice for you. You can continue to receive your magazine subscription via post as normal - or we'll send you an iPad for free and you can move to our digital subscription. Or pay £2 extra for postage and get both. Your call".

Instead I get - "Hey, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE drop 500 notes on a delivery device so we can charge you twice for the same content, expose you to more of other magazines, show you more adverts and make you pay double. You have to, because, like, we're all in trouble if you don't."

This is just rude in my eyes, an insult to long term subscribers and a backwards business model.

f
Click to expand...

EXACTLY! Couldn't have said it better myself. For those of us ALREADY subscribing, why not give us a choice?

The "Cool" factor of how this app works will wear off at that kind of price.
 
I downloaded it. They still don't do enough. Its still a magazine and not an experience. Maybe it is asking too much to have some interactivity with each article. I was expecting alot for 4.99.... instead i got a magazine for newstand price.

A couple video's of toystory.... really, thats all. why not a 3d landscape to move around. There was more they could have done to make it more interesting.
 
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