03-27-2010, 12:09 AM

Any word on magazine subscription pricing for Ipad?

Up here in Canada, magazines cost $5 (ie Road and Track, etc.) and we'd love to get those $12 / year subscriptions Americans are accustomed to.

I can't see them charging more for the Ipad subscription than for yearly print delivered to your door?

If they do, bravo for them. Who would think folks would pay more for viewing an item on a computer screen than the old-fashioned (and more comfortable) paper based model.

Heck, Steve Jobs will soon proclaim he's saved acres of forest. You know, he may just do that.

03-27-2010, 01:26 AM

I read on the news this morning that the Wallstreet Journal will be around $19 a month for an ongoing subscription on the iPad, which reportedly is just a few dollars more than the regular print.

03-27-2010, 01:43 AM

And that's a rip off. They remove the paper printing and delivery costs of the regular print version and then charge us more for the ipad electronic version. The only thing I get out of that is someone wants to make more money off ipad users.

03-27-2010, 01:47 AM

^^^Completely agree with you, but I figured this would happen at first. I don't mind $5 a month for a magazine like Wired or say National Geographic, but my reading habits with magazines are so sporadic I don't ever get subscriptions anymore besides Men's Health.

03-27-2010, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by the8thark

And that's a rip off. They remove the paper printing and delivery costs of the regular print version and then charge us more for the ipad electronic version. The only thing I get out of that is someone wants to make more money off ipad users.

I was reading that the reason companies are doing this is to prevent cannibalization of their print editions. They're holding on for dear life to their business model at the expense of actual innovation that could help stave off their demise.

Wait long enough and prices for the electronic versions will plummet.

03-27-2010, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Kash

I was reading that the reason companies are doing this is to prevent cannibalization of their print editions. They're holding on for dear life to their business model at the expense of actual innovation that could help stave off their demise.

Wait long enough and prices for the electronic versions will plummet.

It's called having a conscience for some owner's, CEO's, etc.
Yeah, there are still some business people that have one.

It can be pretty hard changing a business model and having a 50-60 yr old needing to make the decision to lay off all the other 50-60 yr old employees that have not only made the company what it is today, but have also become friends over the last 20-30 years and hire a bunch of kids to take the company in a new direction.

And then having to pay that 25 yr old fresh out of school still wet behind the ears kid more $$ than the worker that's been on the job with you for 25 yrs is tuff to take also.

No offense to the youngsters out there, just a part of the reality of what happens as technology progresses.

03-27-2010, 11:09 AM

There are some magazines that will be using the Zinio app already available for the iPhone and several new mags have jumped on for the iPad. Looks like some are deciding whether to use Zinio or come out with their own apps.



Sampling of subscription prices and # of issues

$16.50 - 12 - National Geographic - I'll definitely grab this one.
$11.88 - 12 - Men's Journal
$46.00 - 51 - Business Week
$10.00 - 12 - Popular Science
$10.00 - 12 - Popular Photography

Check out more mags here.

And books, now here's what I'm talking about the need for color in an ereader - Kindle tear your heart out - check this one out - link - click on the 'Inside' link that's on the bottom of the cover for a taste. This sample is in Flash, so yet to be seen if we'll have this for the iPad, but it's pretty cool.

Biology Textbook - no samples here, but a substantial savings over the hardback price.

03-27-2010, 11:26 AM

Well looking at this link book and magazine prices on the ibookstore could be on the increase.

iBookstore prices climb back up to $13 post-leak | Electronista

03-27-2010, 11:44 AM

That stinks, but I'll probably only be purchasing one or two new releases anyways. I tend to wait until books are on sale before picking them up.

03-27-2010, 02:14 PM

I assume all these are US only?

Any UK ones?

03-27-2010, 02:26 PM

Not yet. As ibooks for places like Australia and the UK is not ready yet. And Apple will let us know when we get ibooks.

03-31-2010, 09:21 PM

I will be getting the National Geographic as well. Awesome deal from the paper version.

04-01-2010, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by the8thark

And that's a rip off. They remove the paper printing and delivery costs of the regular print version and then charge us more for the ipad electronic version. The only thing I get out of that is someone wants to make more money off ipad users.

It's expensive to go green

04-01-2010, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by jg24

I will be getting the National Geographic as well. Awesome deal from the paper version.

Would you have some info about this please? Where to get it, price etc.

04-01-2010, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by Voony

Would you have some info about this please? Where to get it, price etc.

See my post above.