The iPad business model for news: Strategies publishers must embrace

(Story via)

By Martin Langeveld

February 18, 2010, 10:00 am

There’s been a lot of hand-wringing in the journosphere about what newspapers ought to be doing vis-a-vis the iPad. If publishers adopt their usual defensive stance and take a slow approach, they’ll miss the iPad boat. Or the iPad rocketship, as the case may be.

Kenneth Li of the Financial Times reports that “Newspaper and magazine publishers are stumbling over key issues such as sharing subscription revenues as they consider deals to offer digital versions of their products on Apple’s upcoming iPad digital media device.” Apple’s 30 percent take of any subscription revenue is a far better deal than the 70 percent many publishers forked over to Amazon to be on the Kindle, but some publishers are balking at Apple’s deal. “Thirty percent forever changes the economics,” one newspaper exec complaned to Li. “You can imagine we feel less good about it.”

READ THE REST OF THIS DETAILED PIECE HERE:

http://www.niemanlab.org/2010/02/the-ipad-business-model-for-news-strategies-publishers-must-embrace/

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Cost to build iPad, could publishers subsidize?

There’s been some talk, and it might not be such a bad idea, that newspapers should/could subsidize the cost of e-reading devices or tablets. Except for the New York Times which offers a netbook at a discount with a desktop reader app subscription, I know of no one who is planning this.

But today, via eBookNewser, we get a glimpse at the cost of manufacturing an iPad. And even though it’s doubtful Apple would enter into such agreements with individual newspapers or groups, it’s an important part of the equation……

See the full article here: http://www.mediabistro.com/ebooknewser/ipad/ipad_costs_22935_to_manufacture_151764.asp?c=rss

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Apple does it again! With a low entry price for consumers

At an entry point of $499 for a wi-fi only 14gb IPad, Apple HAS put the publishing industry on its ear. For a live blog with excellent photos, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yzsybpd

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Could these be real images of Apple’s Tablet?

We’ll know tomorrow……….

http://tinyurl.com/y9zlusm

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Photos of New Asus E-Reader Revealed, Add it to the Multitude.

http://www.mediabistro.com/ebooknewser/ereaders/first_photos_of_upcoming_asus_ereader_hit_the_web_149784.asp?c=rss

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What the Apple IPad might look like: Sources Say This is Close

http://tinyurl.com/ye74bpw

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Telcom Carriers for Apple’s “IPad” Steaming into Port

With the post-CES buzz still intact but simmering a new buzz is intensifying. Less than a week, it’s being reported that Apple is talking to both Verizon and Sprint for 3G coverage to the “IPad.” Article below…….

http://tinyurl.com/ya2jbkv

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Bracing for the IPad? Amazon opens Kindle to app developers…..

This is BIG news……..if Kindle users can run other apps a tablet buy might not make sense for them giving Amazon longer consumer relevancy AND time to develop its product to compete against tablets………Think desktop readers of newspapers (requires internet connectivity)…….

http://tinyurl.com/ylghlvj

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Business Week does great analysis on E-Reader Market

Business week provides a solid analysis of the e-reader market shaking out.

http://tinyurl.com/ybf35x3

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Pricing WILL be an issue for Que Pro Reader……

Having worked on content development for the Que for some time and being one of the few to see and work with the device prior to its unveiling at CES, I am a Que enthusiast. I believe the device is fabulous and would love to have one. Tempering that, however, against my needs as a user (and not a developer or gadget geek) I’d have a hard time shelling out $649 or $799 now.For me (and I hope there is a strong market among business users) the value proposition is just not there.

Most of the press from the CES 2010 appropriately hails the Que Pro Reader as unparalleled in its class. The question is how long will its class last? At this point, I think it’s an understatement to say that folks working in this universe as well as consumers in the know are not going to purchase a device until Apple either comes out or does not come out with something in a couple of weeks. And many are understanding that tablets in general present competition in this arena.

So why not come out with a lower price to develop mass? Two reasons (I speculate); 1) It’s much more difficult to keep pricing low if your costs and ability to manufacture the device are higher and 2) Manufacturing capacity must meet demand.

The link below is representative of this and a good example of media Que review now that it’s launched.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/plastic-logics-que-business-e-reader-clever-flawed

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