Why iPad Magazine Apps Suck?
We spend lot of time tinkering with the magazine format. Couple of magazines we did develop for private circulation. We were not too happy with the outcome. There was always this nagging feeling that there has to be something more than just animated version of PDF content. That and a clear lack of subscription support slowed down our iPad magazine app initiative.
We are still in touch with publishers and hopefully this situation will improve as technology matures and concrete behavior emerges from tablet usage.
It’s good to see refreshing analysis by Khoi Vinh on this subject –
My opinion about iPad-based magazines is that they run counter to how people use tablets today and, unless something changes, will remain at odds with the way people will use tablets as the medium matures. They’re bloated, user-unfriendly and map to a tired pattern of mass media brands trying vainly to establish beachheads on new platforms without really understanding the platforms at all.
The fact of the matter is that the mode of reading that a magazine represents is a mode that people are decreasingly interested in, that is making less and less sense as we forge further into this century, and that makes almost no sense on a tablet. As usual, these publishers require users to dive into environments that only negligibly acknowledge the world outside of their brand, if at all — a problem that’s abetted and exacerbated by the full-screen, single-window posture of all iPad software. In a media world that looks increasingly like the busy downtown heart of a city — with innumerable activities, events and alternative sources of distraction around you — these apps demand that you confine yourself to a remote, suburban cul-de-sac.
As it’s happening elsewhere, nailing this problem requires many experiments. Lot of throw-away code has to be written before we can claim one or two diamonds. Unfortunately industry insiders don’t always have the luxury of experiments.
