Posts Tagged ‘iPad Daily’
iPad Daily delayed as Apple and News Corp work to secure subscribers
If you keep up with Apple news, you already know that Steve Jobs has taken an undetermined medical leave of absence from his role as CEO. What you may not have heard is that Jobs’ absence, among other factors, delayed the launch of the revolutionary iPad Daily.
The partnership between two of America’s most influential companies was supposed to happen Wednesday at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, with Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, and News Corp’s leading man, Rupert Murdoch, on-hand to make the joint announcement.
Now that the launch of the iPad Daily is delayed from potentially a few weeks to a few months, let’s take a moment to review 3 potential issues for the iPad Daily.
1) The iPad Daily is only available to iPad owners. It seems like a silly argument, and while we’re huge fans of iPads at Dexim – we DO make accessories for iPads – we also realize that, right off the bat, the medium by which the e-newspaper will be delivered is limited to the number of people owning iPads. And, on a related note, not all iPad users will read the Daily. So we ask, in the end, especially if there aren’t many subscribers, is it worth the investment?
2) 2011 is the “Year of the Competitor.” We know iPads are the “hot item,” and we don’t see the product fading soon. In 2010, iPad sales accounted for 90% of the tablet market, which is amazing. Early adopters will most likely purchase the latest-and-greatest tablet, but it’s a safe bet Apple will continue to dominate the tablet market. Still, if Apple sits on the idea for too long, will the iPad Daily lose its luster?
3) The gadget ranges from $499 to $829, and you have to pay for some apps. Lots of web content is free, including news, reviews, games and magazine articles. Will users be willing to pay nearly $1 per week for daily news? It’s not an unreasonable amount to ask, but Murdoch’s company will have to publish very original content – not just repurposed Wall Street Journal articles – in order for users to fork over a buck. Here’s the key: It must be original content because non-iPad users can visit wsj.com, pay for their content and hit the “share” button as quickly as anyone can read an iPad Daily article. On a related note, regarding exclusivity, Google cannot index the content shown within the iPad Daily app because the search site does not index tablet app content.
Still, with the help of thought leaders, early adopters and social media gurus, the first groups to jump on the iPad Daily train, I think the iPad Daily will be a success. If anyone can do it right, it’s Murdoch and Jobs.
What do you think about the iPad Daily? Is the app a fad, or will it reshape the way people read their news?
Incoming search terms for the article:
