Is the iPad the savior of print?
"Anything that we can do to help the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal find new ways of expression so they can afford to get paid ... I’m all for it," Steve Jobs told the AllThingsD conference on Tuesday.
Well, it’s way too early for results, but the pawns have started moving across the chess board. A number of print publications have just released apps created especially for the iPad.
And so far … it’s pretty encouraging. The monthlies are doing a far better job of it than the dailies, for obvious reasons – they have the time to invest. And for the most part, they not only look damn good, but some are taking full advantage of the interactive possibilities.
Following, a rundown of the apps available so far, ranked in order of best to not-so-best.
MEN’S HEALTH
Cost of App: Free
Issues Cost: $3.99
It’s beautifully designed, as most of the magazine apps are, and visually it replicates having the full print magazine in your hands.
But where Men’s Health beats the others is how much more content is buried beneath the surface.
As with most magazine apps, you swipe sideways to go from story to story. But after you swipe on Men’s Health, several “plus” signs show up in various places on the new page. Tap on one, and a pop-up menu shows what else is available for that area of the story. It could indicate a photo gallery, a mini-poll (“Have you ever shacked up?”), a link to Facebook or Twitter or a video. Indeed, videos are scattered throughout, from cooking lessons to weight-training exercises.
And it's extremely easy to navigate with a full, photo-filled contents pop-up and a bottom scroll.
WIRED
Cost of App: $4.99
Issues Cost: $2.99
Also beautifully designed, with lots to play with, including audio and video.
When you’re on a story, big round buttons show up, usually by the main photo. They allow you to change the photo, but keep the page where it is. Often, changing the photo brings more than just illustrative variety; it advances and explains the story further.
In a piece on creating “Toy Story 3,” the buttons visually show each step in the process. And on the next page of the story is a frame from the movie; tap and watch video of a sequence in the film.
Another cool exampe: A piece on bluetooth headsets pictures several headsets and the introduction; when you tap on a headset, the page layout stays the same, but the story area switches to a review of that particular headset.
Also, clear pop-up contents list to navigate around the site.
VANITY FAIR
Cost of App: Free
Issues Cost: $3.99
Each story begins with one full-page photo and a headline.
