Why the Apple iPad might just save traditional print media
The new Apple iPad has been released to rave reviews and heavy criticism alike and at $629 for the basic 16GB Wi-Fi model all the way up to $1064 for the 64GB Wi-Fi and 3G it’s an investment many with practical applications will happily pay for. In the US more than a million were shipped in the first month alone and ongoing stock shortages have repeatedly delayed international release. Weighing in at 730g for the 3G model the iPad weighs about half as much as the average laptop.
Many have claimed that the iPad is simply an oversized iPod Touch and in principal they are exactly right. But the iPad is not about what you can do on it, but how you can do it. Like the iPhone and the iPod before it, the iPad is not so much a device as it is a conduit for re-engineering information consumption in an industry in crisis; i.e. the publishing industry. The iPad allows you to read the newspaper as a newspaper, or a magazine as a magazine. In fact, magazines and newspapers can improve on the paper experience by incorporating video, interactive and multimedia content. Traditional print media in its varying forms should use the iPad as an opportunity to modernise themselves into a mobile resource to reach their audience. The cost of publishing can often equate to as much as 50% of production costs particularly for newspapers and by harnessing digital mediums they can eliminate this cost entirely.
Some have claimed that the iPad is the last nail in the coffin for traditional print media because of currently unprofitable subscription rates for existing online newspapers. A monthly subscription to Business Weekly in the US costs just US$2.95 on Amazon via the Kindle wireless reading device of which Business Weekly receives only US$0.75. This equates to about 15% of the US$4.95 cost of a single copy on the newsstand or a tiny fraction of the US$49.99 price they normally charge for a yearly subscription. However distributing in this format does avoid the cost of printing and distribution. Most enter into online subscription deals that offer low returns because of an eagerness to appear to be up to date and relevant in today’s rapidly changing media. But the problem with the Kindle apart from its poor profitability for publishers is its presentation of content. With a small 6 inch greyscale screen that is only able to show unillustrated content and extremely limited file format readability the kindle isn’t exactly competitive against today’s computers let alone technology like the iPad.
Some have claimed that the iPad will do for the e-book market what the iPod and iTunes did for music distribution, create order and profitability out of copywrite infringement chaos. The consumer experience is key in defining what people are willing to pay for in a world of mostly free content and the only way to do that is to offer something that is more convenient and more compelling that news on websites. The current format of online news is plain and uninteresting to read, often requiring the reader to lean forwards and intently focus on their task. In contrast, e-readers, both as apps and devices, can automatically deliver news and turn the whole experience into a lean-back, leisurely activity available on the go. The ability to zoom and adjust font size will also make the iPad user friendly across generations in a way that the iPod Touch and laptops aren’t.
With an easy to use purchase system like that of iTunes the iPad could succeed in turning e-books into an extremely profitable industry in the same way that iPods recaptured a market engrossed by the opportunities provided by programs like Napster. Now all traditional print media has to do is redesign itself into a visually appealing, device compatible format.
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