Where's the iMag store?

You know, at first I wasn't so impressed with the iPad, but the more I thought about the ways in which you can use it, the more excited I got. As a piece of leisure technology - something you just have laying around your living room like a newspaper - it's a lot more user friendly than a laptop or an iPhone.

However, I don't think the iPad is revolutionary. By now we're well familiar with multi-touch devices and apps stores. And let's face it, ebooks are nothing new. The iBooks app isn't going to be breaking any ground, but you know what would? An iMag store.

Sure, there're sites like emagazines.com that offer browser-based magazines, but there's no one universal storefront for emagazines that's easy to use. Even Zinio doesn't make the emagazine buying experience as easy or pleasurable as buy a song from the iTunes store. Can you imaging what an iMag app might be like? Bjørn Rybakken, creative director at Tangram Design, an Oslo based design agency, sent me these mock-ups (and you guys know how I love mock-ups) which got me thinking what the iMag store might be like.

Now, before someone stops me and says "But the Kindle does magazines..." It does, but not how magazines should be done. In my first journalism class we learned of how in the early part of the 20th century (I think the year was 1913, but can't be sure – sorry professor), the editors at National Geographic were putting the finishing touches on an issue that was a day away from going to press when they discovered that they came up short in the articles department that month. In a last-ditch attempt to fill the space the editor-in-chief decided to publish eleven full-page photographs a journalist had sent him. Before that issue, National Geographic (like all magazines of the day) had been what we would consider a journal – a lot of text articles with few photographs. When the issue hit newsstands, the editor-in-chief was sure the publishers would fire him. They didn't. That issue turned out to be their best-selling issue since the publication started in 1888. People loved the photos and since then, National Geographic has become synonymous with iconic photography and every other magazine in the world has used photography as a way to enhance and highlight their pages. Magazines aren't like books. Magazines rely heavily on photography, charts, sidebars, page-bleeds, and even cartoons. E-ink readers like the Kindle just can't give you the magazine experience that a full-color display can.

An iMag store could allow you to find and purchase magazines from all over the world, in any language. You could search by title, subject, or even author (a cool search feature because most authors write articles for many magazines). Indie magazine publishers would also now have a wider distribution network - and a chance at a wider audience. The magazines could feature videos in the articles, live polls, and even integrated chat rooms discussing the current article.

iMag store pricing? Yearly magazine subscriptions for $9.99. Single issues for 99 cents. There's been countless times I would have liked to buy a magazine I don't normally read off the newsstand, but the $4.99 cover price kept me from doing so. However, if I could get that same magazine for 99 cents instantly in electronic form, I'd buy it in a heartbeat – especially if they were all as slick as this.

Existing emagazine sites charge between $9.99 and $34.99 per title for an annual magazine subscription. I think most publishers would agree to a $9.99 price through an iPad iMag store if they could supplement the lower pricing with revenue generated from in-page dynamic advertising (it's 2015 and you decide to peruse a 2014 issue of MacWorld: the ads in the iMag MacWorld magazine have updated to advertise the current 2015 iCar) – especially if the forecasts are correct that there will be 12 million iPads in homes across the world by the end of 2011. Not to mention 12 million potential iPad customers is a hell of a way to get their subscription rates up.

But the best thing about an iPad iMag store? No more of those annoying magazine subscription cards falling all over your lap.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/tag/ipad

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You know, at first I wasn't so impressed with the iPad, but the more I thought about the ways in which you can use it, the more excited I...

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afailing

i whole-heartedly agree with this article. i have been asking one question since i watched the WWDC, and that is: "what about magazines?" i've got an iphone, and quite honestly don't need an over-sized itouch (i'm sorry... that's what it ultimately looks like to most of us, with a couple cool new features). apple is slating this device as a revolutionary reader that should kick kindle's ass, however, i don't like reading books (novels). i really don't. my girlfriend, though, LOVES to read and it would be great to be able to keep all her books on a virtual bookshelf.
i know i sound a little selfish... but what about me??? i buy this amazing device that my gf can use, but i can do nothing more on the ipad than what i can do on my iphone. if i could subscribe to ROAD & TRACK, and get updates each month like a podcast, i would love it. and it wasn't said in the above article, specifically, but i hope he meant that he wants to see a more magaziney feel to these emagazines. don't get me wrong, i'm all for daily updates, or whatever, but i would like to have an ELECTRONIC copy of the April issue of ROAD & TRACK. One that DIRECTLY mirrors the one sitting on news stands right now. it CAN be done. after all, before they print it, IT IS IN ELECTRONIC FORM (ads and all). just sell us that electronic form!!! i don't like hitting links to an article that pertain to what i might find interesting. if the article i'm not willing to hunt down (just to navigate away from the current page) is just placed in front of me as i flip the virtual page, i would be more inclined to read it.
I REALLY HOPE APPLE READS THIS ARTICLE!!!

March 15 2010 at 10:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to afailing's comment

afailing

a little post script... sorry.
i was DEFINITELY comforted when i saw the new york times demo, it looked exactly like what the physical copy looks like. that, too, would be nice. instead of having some 19-year-old HUCK the sunday paper (or any other issue, for that matter) at my front window at 4 am, update my app wirelessly (or sync) so that i can read it in the morning without having to replace all the glass TARGETS that can be seen from the road.
the current seattle times app is like every other magazine or newspaper app currently residing on the app store shelves... ALL LINKS WITH A FEW FOO FOO PICTURES! give me the ELECTRONIC copy of what will go to the press.

March 15 2010 at 11:00 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Shannon

This is one of the first things I thought of after the announcement. I hope that either magazines will put out their own apps, or will be in the iBooks store. I would love to subscribe to and read magazines on an iPad and it would allow me to keep back issues without having stacks of magazines everywhere.

February 02 2010 at 3:34 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Christophe

Apple needs to get in cahoots with Bonnier's R&D department because the Mag+ concept needs to be the future!

http://vimeo.com/8217311

February 01 2010 at 9:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

maxmontreal

i love this idea, i read loads of magazines but i hate them cluttering the house, they are too nice sometimes to throw out (wallpaper for one). i dont really like subscriptions as they never seem to be in great shape when they arrive.

i see the ipad as something i don't need in anyway shape or form, but, as a magazine podcast delivery device (like the ipod is to music) that would have ten or twenty magazines automatically downloaded, in full glory, with the ability to store articles (the bathroom in dwell, the how to in wired) within the device for later reading? now i'm interested.

February 01 2010 at 8:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

James

This is one of two reasons I would buy an iPad, the other is an expanded version of Remotescape for iPad

February 01 2010 at 8:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Brent

This could be very compelling, especially at this price point.

I clicked on the link to the Sports Illustrated video, and what they did with their magazine was phenomenal and looked like tons of fun! Through some other research, apparently Time Inc. has had some tablet ideas in development for their magazines, but I don't actually see that they've built one. Maybe the iPad is just what they need to execute this.

February 01 2010 at 5:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Stacey

Sports Illustrated already has a demo of what they could do in with a tablet environment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk

I think my magazine subscriptions will rise dramatically with an IPAD.

February 01 2010 at 5:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

sodapop

"As a piece of leisure technology - something you just have laying around your living room like a newspaper - it's a lot more user friendly than a laptop or an iPhone. "

That's exactly what have been saying to people who complain its not a full blown computer.

What is revolutionary about its that it is being designed "as a piece of leisure technology". Netbooks are just scaled down computers. They lack the user interface that the iPad and the architecture for easily obtaining media. Sure its an evolutionary extension of the iTouch, but it so is the iPhone of an OSX computer - and it was revolutionary when announced.

Sometimes revolution is not about something completely new and unthought of, but rather new thinking and use of what we already have. Apple successfully employs what is good about the iTouch a piece of technology that will appeal to consumers of media and personal use of the internet.

It still needs multitasking, Flash-compatibility and a built in webcam.

February 01 2010 at 2:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

max Walker

So the top shelf is going to require a password

February 01 2010 at 2:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gert

Great suggestion, call Steve!

February 01 2010 at 2:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply