Where's Magazine Content for the iPad?

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fabrik

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Okay, I know there's all this excitement surrounding the launch of the iPad and all the books that will be supposedly available for the iPad.

But where's the discussion regarding magazine or newspaper content? Wasn't the iPad supposed to be the savior of the publishing industry?

I've looked and researched around the web to find out about magazine or newspaper formatted content for the iPad, but nothing exists.

If all that is going to happen is port the existing ebook content to the iPad, where's the benefit? We already have devices that do ebooks and videos.

My understanding was that the iPad was going to revolutionize the publishing industry. The ePub format that is being used for the iPad is arcane to say the least. Where's the rich media and rich looking publications for the iPad?

Are we supposed to view websites to receive this content? Doesn't this defeat the purpose?

I find this very disappointing.

As a magazine publisher myself, I would love to be able to distribute my magazine through channels such as the iPad. But not dumb down the look of my magazine to do so.

We currently use an online flip book format that utilizes the PDF format, so our magazine has the same rich look online as it would printed. And with the iPad not even having the capability of Flash, I don't see how you can add interactivity with PDFs.

Anybody else have insight on this or shed some light on magazine content strategy from Apple?

Thanks,
Chris
 

anypats

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There are several publishers that have already signed on:

GQ
Vanity Fair
Wired
Glamour
The New Yorker

I'm sure you will see more and more as time goes on. I don't know for sure, but I think that these magazines will be sold via the iBookstore and more than likely these magazines have been designed specifically for the iPad. If you want your magazine on the iPad, you will probably need a developer that can transfer content to an iPad format and get it onto the iBookstore.

The days of Flash are numbered. You should look into starting to use HTML5 so that you are ahead of the game rather than behind. As the iPhone and iPod touch are the most popular mobile browsing devices and soon with the iPad making a huge impact, more and more sites are going to go HTML5.
 

kornchild2002

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Where's the iPad itself? We are still 2 weeks away from the iPad's release and only a select few developers are getting it early. They must abide by very strict rules such as keeping it in a room with blackened windows, having it tethered 24 hours a day, and provide photo evidence of this.

Apps and services (such as magazines) will likely roll out much after the iPad is released so that developers and publishers have enough time to make something that just isn't a higher resolution iPhone port.

I suggest that you contact Apple first and foremost for getting your "magazine" "published" on the iPad. Just an FYI - the iPad can view interactive magazines just fine, you just have to adhere to the iPad's hardware and software. New York Times effectively showed that off when the iPad was first announced. They put videos right within their magazine despite the lack of Flash compatibility. You have to understand the iPad's platform and that is something that you obviously don't. A call or e-mail to Apple would resolve this.
 

wyneken

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But where's the discussion regarding magazine or newspaper content? Wasn't the iPad supposed to be the savior of the publishing industry?

I've looked and researched around the web to find out about magazine or newspaper formatted content for the iPad, but nothing exists.
You've looked and researched, but you haven't found anything?

This has been a fairly active topic in many of the blogs and forums I've been following.

At the moment, it looks like most periodicals that are contemplating moving onto the iPad are planning to do so through dedicated apps, probably using some kind of paid-subscription model. But again, nobody knows what this will look like until somebody does it. Condé Nast has announced a roll-out schedule for some of its flagship publications (including Vanity Fair and The New Yorker) later this spring and summer.

There are a couple of cool "concept" videos making the rounds showing off some of the possibilities of the new medium, like this one.
 

JSRinUK

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The other evening, I found our local free paper had an app. It allows you to download recent/past issues and the new issue the night before it's available. You can either read it immediately or download to read later (in case you later have no internet connection).

It also doesn't have just the free local one that we get but other free ones from surrounding areas that we don't.

On-screen it looks pretty much exactly like the printed newspaper. You turn the page like an eBook and zoom in with the usual two fingers.

It looks a bit dinky and feels a bit slow on the iPod Touch but I think it's going to be pretty fantastic on the iPad.

It doesn't (as yet) have any multi-media content, but it's a step in the right direction.
 

kornchild2002

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Hopefully more free apps like that come out made specifically for the iPad. I would hate to upscale 320X480 text to 1024X768.
 

JSRinUK

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On the subject of magazines on the iPad, have you seen this: http://www.zinio.com/splash.jsp?code=ipad.

At first glance, it looks good to me.

Years ago I used Zinio on my desktop PC but that's not the ideal viewing environment. The iPad may be the answer.

Unfortunately, the iPhone app version is only available for US users - which prevents me from checking it out (even if I click the link on the Zinio's UK website). Is anyone prepared to take the plunge to see if it's any good?
 

TechnologyCoach

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Magazines will definitely get a shot in the arm once the iPad is released... as will blogs (blogazine :confused:), according to this source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/first_looks_magazines_on_the_ipad.php

JSR - I only read a few reviews of Zinio and they weren't favorable but heck.. I'm game to most things. I'll give it a shot once my iPad arrives April 3rd.

On the subject of magazines on the iPad, have you seen this: http://www.zinio.com/splash.jsp?code=ipad.

At first glance, it looks good to me.

Years ago I used Zinio on my desktop PC but that's not the ideal viewing environment. The iPad may be the answer.

Unfortunately, the iPhone app version is only available for US users - which prevents me from checking it out (even if I click the link on the Zinio's UK website). Is anyone prepared to take the plunge to see if it's any good?
 

JSRinUK

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Magazines will definitely get a shot in the arm once the iPad is released... as will blogs (blogazine :confused:), according to this source: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/first_looks_magazines_on_the_ipad.php

JSR - I only read a few reviews of Zinio and they weren't favorable but heck.. I'm game to most things. I'll give it a shot once my iPad arrives April 3rd.
I'm sure Zinio used to be available in the UK, too. If not, it was something with a similar name. I used to read a computing magazine/newspaper when I worked at the factory (it was supplied free!) and they switched to the Zinio version. I've long since left the factory so I lost track of Zinio.

What were the bad reviews you've read? I just recall it as being a way to read on the PC screen and figuring that I'd much rather have the printed version so I could read it in the carpark during my lunch break. :D

I'll be interested to read your review. I hope they supply a free sample magazine or something so that you won't have to pay just to try it out.
 

rcarlberg

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It may take a while but once magazines start getting ported to the iPad it will change the definition of what we consider a "magazine" -- active links, embedded video, embedded dictionary/Wikitionary, variable font size, variable reading level, variable language. The distinction between a "website" and a "magazine" may not seem so clear in 4 years.
 

jkester

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It strikes me as odd that there isn't an iMag store as a unified location for all your magazines, synced with iTunes. I suppose it could still be coming, but it seems counterintuitive that each magazine should be an app or, alternatively, that iPad users will get their magazines from a 3rd party like Zinio.
 

kornchild2002

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The issue is that every magazine is different and not everyone is going to offer the same content. Gaming magazines are going to have text, pictures, game trailers, and game play videos. Some other magazines won't be offering video and instead would focusing on pictures, text, and links. Instead of forcing magazine publishers to conform to a single set of rules made by Apple, it is better to give them their own freedom by allowing them to make their own apps for their magazine content. Essentially, it is the same reason why there isn't an iApps section on the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone. Every app is different.

That and it would allow publishers to set their own prices. Right now, the rumors around some publishers is that they are going to charge $2.99 an issue while the physical copy is $4.99.

Apple might enforce an iMag app in the future or just integrate such functionality into iBooks (after all, book stores also sell magazines) but for now, relying on the publishers to make their own apps, tailored to the content they are selling, is the solution.
 

Mr. E.

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I don't know. The idea of a consistent format and a consistent reader application has a lot of appeal to me. Content will vary across titles, but unless a publisher wants to get really fancy (like that mock-up of a potential electronic version of Sports Illustrated), then electronic magazines will probably have very similar presentations: text, images, maybe video. IBooks is supposed to be able to handle all of that, and so it could be a potential solution, but that remains to be seen. Stand alone apps certainly have more versatility, but magazine catalog apps, iBooks or something else, seem like they would be useful as well. Especially if you have a number of magazines and want to recall one particular article. Searching several different magazine title apps would be less convenient than searching one catalog of magazines.

Another advantage for users, but not necessarily publishers, is that if magazine issues are sold as files, rather than served up through a subscription-based application, once you buy an issue, you have it. It seems very possible that in a one-application-per-title situation, once you cancel your subscription, you might lose access to all the content you have already paid for.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog mentioned an e-magazine solution that I think has already come up on the forums, WoodWing (TUAW link). I didn't look into it enough to see if it's a way to create some magazine-type file format or if it's a way to create your own magazine application, but it does sound like it's being offered as a solution for publishers who do not want to have to hire application programmers just to get their magazines on the iPad.
 
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