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Time Magazine now available exclusively on the iPad and dead trees
More sad news from the world of journalism: looks like Time Magazine is experimenting with putting its web content behind a very odd type of paywall starting with the next issue. Instead of being able to pay for a subscription to read the full content of Time in their browsers, web visitors see the beginning of each article, and this: Wait, so ... what if I don't have an iPad, and I think print is dead? I guess Time just doesn't want money from people like that. Paywalls are bad enough, but turning the website into an ad for the iPad and dead-tree editions of the magazine is pretty extreme. Not every article in the magazine is cut short, but all the major ones appear to be. I really hope Time reverses course on this, and at least offers online subscriptions as part of their paywall."The following is an abridged version of an article that appears in the July 12, 2010 print and iPad editions of Time."
Of course, whether it's smart to have a paywall at all is another issue altogether.
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsoctoberasianJul 7th 2010 4:17PM
If they do this to newspapers and other magazines follow suit, this is the end of online magazines and newspapers as it is.
If I were to pay for full access to articles just to see them online, I'd want them to not be abridged or require me to get a gimped iPad.
jsmorleyJul 7th 2010 4:24PM
With all the sources of information and analysis on the web today, I think any company that tries to solve their bottom line problems by going behind a paywall are only speeding up their demise. Time magazine is a relic of the 1960's and 70's in any case, but this only hastens the end.
benJul 7th 2010 5:01PM
I wonder where will Google get their content from after all these established news outlet dies.
KarlWJul 7th 2010 7:22PM
@ben
Google doesn't sell content, they sell access to content. They're a connecting way between the site and the user. If anything, products like Google News have me going to more news sites than I would otherwise (both in terms of number of visits and where I go).
tide3456Jul 13th 2010 7:49PM
Truely outrageous. Time has every right to put their content behind a paywall but limiting your choices to dead tree version or an iPad is RIDICULOUS.
Are they getting money from Apple for making it iPad exclusive? If no why are they doing this? Stupid, I expect a huge backlash and they'll soon backtrack.
AaronJul 7th 2010 5:11PM
Let's see how this ends. I predict "badly", even as an iPad owner. Why?
Each issue is $4.99!
Are you #$%)@#$(% kidding me? That's far more than the subscription price to have a paper version delivered to my house via the postal service. What's more, the iPad app still has advertisements.
Hey guys, drop the price to at most $1 per issue and I'll think about it.
JobyJul 7th 2010 5:52PM
Good riddance. Get rid of these media relics. It's not like most traditional media has done anything more than a lackluster job, anyways.
Tech IntrovertJul 7th 2010 6:03PM
Pay walls are a lazy answer to the "why should I pay if I can get it for free online?" problem. Some people might fall for it if they really like the mag.
A better solution: make the subscription-only version awesome, and people will pay for it EVEN THOUGH it's free online. Examples- Wired, NY Times Reader 2.0, etc. Pack in exclusive video, sharing options, etc. People will pay for cool.
JonnyJul 7th 2010 6:54PM
People still read Time?
IanJul 7th 2010 9:42PM
Aaron,
You hit the nail on the head. These old school magazines think we will pay OTT MSRP prices per edition! No way. I get many monthly print magazines and would really want to read them all on a device like the ipad. But instead of embracing new electronic devices these mags try to rape and pillage readers. Ain't gonna happen. I will wait.
sharkyncJul 8th 2010 9:28AM
Time stopped being relevant a long Time ago.