Is the Ipad Saving Newspapers?
October 20, 2010
When the iPad was first launched, it was heralded as a strong savior for the fledgling newspaper publishing industry...Along with the magazine industry AND a rescuer of cheap 'e-retailer'- priced ebooks! How has the iPad been doing in the past six months since it's launch?
Amy-Mae Elliot, a staff writer for Mashable.com, gives us a good analysis:
Is the iPad Really the Savior of the Newspaper Industry?
Even before the iPadwas revealed, analysts, pundits and the publishing industry were already heralding the tablet as the platform that would save the industry from declining readership and dropping revenue.
The iPad’s high-res display, large screen, digital delivery and interactive capabilities were lauded as the next generation of tools that print publishers could use to woo their readers back into the fold.
Now, six months after the iPad’s launch, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at which newspapers have taken advantage of the digital platform, and the state of the market today.
We recently tested the apps ourselvesand spoke with content creators and industry experts to get an overview of where newspaper iPad apps are — and where they might be headed in the future.
Adopting a New Way to Consume News
In order for the general public to consume their daily news on a tablet device, they have to own one. Although great things are promised for the consumer tablet, recent data from ABI Research suggests that at the current rate of sales, such devices won’t reach what’s considered “mass-market penetration” until 2013.
However, there are enough devices out there to make app building worthwhile. Apple sold 3 million iPads within 80 days of the product’s release in the U.S., with the most recent sales figures (dating back from July) coming in at 3.27 million sold. Wall Street analysts Bernstein Research suggest that the iPad is enjoying the fastest adoption rate of a consumer electronics gadget ever — even overtaking the DVD player and Apple stable-mate the iPhone(
).
Forecasters at the Harrison Group found that 13% of all American consumers showed “interest” in buying a tablet device between now and next September, with potential sales of up to 15 million units. In fact, some reports suggest that the iPad’s popularity could affect PC and laptop sales figures as consumers opt for the touchscreen tablet over a new netbook or upgrading an old PC.
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Posted by John R.. Posted In : newspaper publishing
Apple is set to make a well-publicized, "surprise" announcement next Wednesday...Wonder what it will be? Usually, when Apple makes a grandiose production of a Steve Job's upcoming press show, expectations are that something truly innovative will be introduced. 
Something is happening in the digital magazine world that many so-called publishing gurus said would never happen!...Mainly, that online revenues could and would come from consumers willing to pay for online content...AND that this paid content would exceed advertising dollars! 
Amazon is still proving it's ahead of the power curve in innovation of new publishing models and dynamics. 
People who have experience in the publishing world probably have varied and unique outlooks as to just what that world consists of and is (much like life itself).
Another chapter RE the so-called "agency model" (where publishers and not booksellers set the book prices) and what physical book and eBook prices should be.
Every now and then I post on some financial data in the publishing industry. Some still invest in this great but changing industry you know.
You can now self-publish in the B&N eBookstore and BN.com! 
Another big house publisher has been dumped by a bestselling author...And, why not? Traditional publishing is like thick molasses pouring from a bottle when new tech has ushered in fast-pouring media.
Good question...And one I would have answered exactly the same as author 
Writer, Old-Warrior-Adventurer, Blogger... I was born in Key West, Florida. A rather famous hangout for some past famous writers: Hemingway and Tennessee Williams to name two. I just hope that I possess a glimmer of their talent. I have a bachelors degree in architecture/construction and a master's degree in industrial engineering. I have been writing for fifty plus years. Most of my writing has been in the technical, instructional and business areas. I am working on my first book: "Havana Harvest---When Cuba Was Naughty" which details my coming of age experiences in 1958 Havana, Cuba, at the age of 15. Please visit my other blog "Writers Welcome Blog" at http://alturl.com/4z88.