When Sir Richard Branson introduced “Project,” his virgin iPad magazine, last month in New York, the Virgin Media mogul stressed that producing the first issue wasn’t cheap, and its flashy features ought to justify the $2.99 per download cover price.
"Producing the editorial (for the iPad) is far more expensive than normal editorial" at a print magazine," editor Anthony Noguera said then. "These are expensive products to make."
It appears Branson and co. have had a change of heart, at least for the holidays.
The company is now offering the first issue app as a free download through iTunes. The free offer starts today and will run for a week.
A Virgin spokesperson declined to say how many people had paid to download the first issue.
At the launch event, Branson wouldn’t reveal any expectations for the launch, either. "We'll have to see as we go."
