AppleNewsstand
Latest
Time Inc. allows iPad users to try before they buy
The iPad is an incredible entertainment platform that has been a game changer for magazine publishers. But when it comes to picking up a new title the newsstand still has one major advantage; the ability to browse an issue before buying it. It's an advantage publisher Time Inc. has noticed and aimed to fix with a new try-it-before-you-buy-it option for their iPad magazines. Now you'll be limited in which articles you'll be able to check out, which is sort of like browsing a magazine with pages ripped out. The addition of previews for iPad magazines is a major shift in Time Inc.'s approach to iPad magazine publishing. According to AllThingsD, the company says the change was made possible due to a change in their Adobe-powered backend that allows them to easily change what content is and isn't available for free. Time's relationship with Apple has been complicated. They were slow to make their content available for subscription in the Apple Newsstand, first making their titles like People, Sports Illustrated and Entertainment Weekly available on the service in June 2012. The Apple Newsstand debuted in October of 2011.
Apple's Newsstand application aiding digital magazine sales, says 'I told you so'
There's no doubt that the digital magazine's road to success has been a bumpy one. The original -- and still the main -- idea was to push content creators and publishers forward in the paperless era, but there's been many doubters and fallen soldiers in the process. While Apple hasn't been the only outfit looking to bring the magazine to the small screen, the introduction of the Newsstand app in iOS 5 aimed to give digitized publications a place to shine on their own. According to AllThingsD, the shelf isn't just a real estate hog on your springboard, it's actually helping to boost sales; Popular Science alone has seen an uptick in subscriptions on the order of 11,000 since the app launched, and signs of slowdown are nowhere to be spotted. PopSci's results may not be found in every publishing house, but it's as solid a sign as any that the tactic may be working. Hit the source link for that whiz-bang chart action.
