Digital magazine era
 

I'm Still Waiting for a Great iPad Magazine

A good article on the start of how magazine companies are taking to the digital era. Things like the iPad, Nook, Kindle, etc., but is the old way the right way? Is taking something once great and putting it similarly on a digital screen enough?

I hate reading long articles on the internet. Most of the time, if there is something i want to read, i must print it out.

I'm with you TX 370. Gimme the good ol' stuff! I know, I know, we're out of step with these "modern times", but we can still choose, so I choose the printed page! I just love browsing over and over my April Auto Isuue of CR magazine---especially when it reports that our Zs are "Better Than Average"!!! BTW, dude, I'm seriously considering making San Anton' my permanent home; any comments?!

I think in due time, these e-magazines will get better. They have to get cheaper and I think the size of the magazine is negligible, bandwidth with increase by the time these get popular and you should be able to download them quickly (hopefully). The magazine companies definitely have to find ways to add value to the e-magazines, instead of just porting over what you could see in a print copy. This could be utilizing more interactive features that you obviously can't do on a regular print mag, ex. videos, links to external sources, real time polls and tests, etc.

if they expect people to pay more, the print companies better find ways to convince the readers why they should...or else charge the same price as print. the kindles/nooks and especially ipad are going to be saving grace for print companies. it will require them to change their strategy and approach, but just like telephone companies, you gotta evolve or die.

Unfortunately, we are seeing more oligopolies forming that in any time in US history. The perfect example is the mobile providers (note how they have banned together on termination fee costs). My wife and I are actually visiting our local library again as it is a great place to relax and learn with others wanting to do the same. Digital media has it place, but I'm not convinced that we are there yet. And truly, how many books/magazines are really worth the price you pay for them (everyone these days is writing a book)? The classics are priceless, most of what passes as literature today is rubbish.

Exactly, it seems anyone can write a book and publish and charge X amount.
My issue with current digital media (on any device) is the idea that because it cost 10 dollars for the magazine it should cost 10 dollars for the digital version. Why? I understand hardware cost to host a server to distribute the media is similar to printing it, but not anywhere near as much as print media. You truly just need one copy of an item to give it to the world so we are not needing the extra raw materials of ink, paper, etc.

I think current media providers (magazine, newspaper, etc.) view the digital era as their out to keep going on, but have yet to understand that the digital world is a whole new ball game.

I will hang with my magazines until I have no other choice.

They really have to work out the business and distribution model. Right now the current digital rights paradigm is unacceptable to a lot of people. With a print magazine or book I can give it to a friend when I'm done with it, I can leave it on my coffee table for visitors to read, I can donate it to a library,etc.

Much of the value of a physical object is the fact that only one person can use it at a time -- it can't be at two places at once. Because of this when I'm done with it I can sell it, give it away, etc. It probably has value for someone.

But with the current digital right schemes it's like buying a magazine that self destructs after you read it. I think that once the resolution of print media readers goes up a bit and the devices become more common, they really will have to come up with a way to allow users to transfer ownership -- some way to emulate more closely the ownership rights that people have come to expect for the things they buy. Until such a time I will never buy print media in digital form.