iPad Leads on the Number of Magazine Titles Available for eReaders & Tablets
The number of magazine titles available for digital eReaders
There is an argument that eInk eReaders are not the best place to publish magazines. The launch of the iPad brought this opinion to the center of a dispute between kindle lovers and Apple fans. Magazines have color, photographs and infographics, and they combine these creative elements into a vibrant stage for readers to enjoy. The iPad has color, interaction and a screen large enough to read magazines and books easily.
In the digital age, the iPad is for magazines, and eInk eReaders are for books. Readers prefer using the eInk technology if they read a lot of books; the non-backlit technology reduces eye strain, at least so goes the argument.
The iPad and tablets represent a new type of device to experience a new form of digital magazine, one that gives readers the ability to experience magazines in a new medium. With tablets, you don’t just read a magazine online, but interact with the articles and infographics.
Take a look at the accompanying infographic on the number of magazine titles available for digital e-readers. The iPad is the clear winner, despite being a late starter, with 141 magazine titles—while its older eInk cousins are left in the dust. Even the venerable old kindle platform has only 63 titles, less than half the number available on the iPad.
Why are there fewer titles on the other eReaders compared to the iPad?
1. iPad fever: The reason is that magazine publishers are more excited about the opportunity with the iPad compared to the kindle, nook and other eInk eReaders. A sizable minority of publishers have been working hard to bring their titles to the iPad this year. Every tech blogger has hailed the latest publication of an iPad magazine with glee. There isn’t the same reaction on the announcement that a magazine has been published on the kindle and nook.
2. eInk device manufacturing processes: The business model and process for publishing magazines on eInk readers is tough and in some cases non-existent. I’ve tried publishing magazines on the nook and Sony eReader, and it doesn’t appear as if it’s possible at this time; both companies are concentrating on business models, expanding their platforms beyond their readers and focusing on books. Only Amazon.com makes the process relatively easy (not perfect), but when you consider what it takes to get a magazine published on an iPad, it’s a cakewalk by comparison. My kudos to Amazon.com for the work they have put into making the process as easy as it can be.
However, I think that not all is lost in the battle for mindshare for eInk owners. And numbers play an important part in the reason why not all is down and out for magazine lovers on the eInk platform:
1. Device sales numbers are important: The iPad is set to sell 10–15 million in 2010 and perhaps 25 million in 2011. Yet at least 6 million eInk eReaders will be sold in 2010. And both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, the leading competitors in the eInk space, have brought down their prices in the face of iPad competition and competition between themselves. If you just purchased an eInk eReader and are not going to buy a tablet, you want to read both books and magazines on your device. Yes, you will want to read your favorite articles from a magazine in an eReader.
2. Publication numbers are important: People aren’t reading magazines on eInk readers because few magazines have been published on them. If you had more magazines published on the devices, there would be more of a market for magazines. The iPad is successful with magazines because we’ve had a constant stream of titles published this year. I don’t see the same happening with eInk readers. In my own sector, the custom content marketing industry, corporations would love to get their publications in the hands of customers, and if those customers own a nook or kindle, then that’s where the magazines need to be published. Though for non-newsstand publications there are issues related to pricing and authentication on eReaders. I’ve written about this problem before, and the Custom Content Council has conducted some research with its members on the topic.
Posted By: John Cass
Comment(s): 6 | (+) Add a Comment
John Cass said on 30 Jul, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Giriraj, Thanks so much for the comment, if there are millions of consumers who want the same for their magazines. There's a publishing opportunity for publishers on eReaders.
Hi Jim, Thanks for being prompted. You are right about the iPad there are some exciting opportunities with the device.
Hi David, The focus for Tablets is magazines and eReaders like the Kindle are books. However the numbers indicate that sales maybe be neck and neck between eReaders and the iPad, but not the overall Tablet category. If you have an eReader and don't own a Tablet you will probably want to read magazines on your eReader just as much as on a Tablet or online.
Hi Selby, Good analysis of what's happening in the industry, and interesting to hear that you read your books on the Kindle app for the iPad.
Hi Christopher, thanks Christopher, very interesting to hear of your Mother's experience, and I agree we are very much watching an evolving process.
Giriraj said on 27 Jul, 2010 at 7:38 PM
In my opinion, it is good to produce magazines on eReaders. As a book reader, I would love to see support for both books and magazines on my eReader.
Jim Morrone said on 27 Jul, 2010 at 8:05 AM
Sheri asked me to post my feedback, which isn't much...
I really can't contribute much to this, since I don't use any of the products. But if I were to, I would be more inclined to use an iPad because of it's versatility. I see little value in just a reader; I would want to also be online, click on links, etc. Maybe that's possible with the readers; I have no clue how they work!
David Geer said on 27 Jul, 2010 at 8:05 AM
The iPad has multiple applications while eReaders have one. It would tend to figure then that, as the data suggests, iPads will far out sell eReaders. Therefore, if you are to produce eMagazines, you should probably produce them for the iPad first.
I read almost exclusively from the Web. I prefer HTML-based content to other formats.
Selby Bateman said on 27 Jul, 2010 at 7:44 AM
I applaud Pace's Digital Trends Team for promoting dialogue about one of the most remarkable creative periods in publishing history.
Just shy of four months since the iPad was released, there's no question that the Apple tablet is showing great potential as an innovative vehicle for a new era of magazines—especially for good custom content that adds value to an already existing print magazine. These are still very early days for this platform, and we won't see the full potential until programmers and designers have another six to 12 months to experiment and refine.
Unfortunately, we are already seeing poor quality shovelware, as some magazine publishers push out little more than color PDFs of their print editions that are optimized for neither the iPhone nor the iPad. Look no further than "The Nation" and "Gourmet Traveller," as examples that are getting very poor ratings in the App Store. They can do real damage to their brands if their rush to grab email addresses and subscribers results in consumer dissatisfaction.
But we are seeing some adventurous efforts from the likes of Wired, Popular Mechanics, and Marvel. Interactive ads, HTML 5-based video, intuitive nav bars, content-relevant newsfeeds, 1-tap sharing options—all of these innovations can increase the value proposition for readers.
For those of us involved with creating compelling and engaging custom content, the opportunities have never been this varied and exciting. I look forward to following your posts on these unfolding topics!
P.S. As an early adopter and fan of both the Kindle and the iPad, I have to admit that I now read all my Kindle books on my iPad's Kindle App.
Christopher Laney said on 27 Jul, 2010 at 5:53 AM
As the owner of an iPad who has downloaded several magazines to read, even though that function did not drive my purchase decision, I find the magazine experience on the iPad unparalleled. It takes the experience to a new level that an eInk reader could never duplicate.
My mom, who owns a Kindle for books, wants the iPad now after only a few minutes with it. My suspicion is, once she buys one, she'll convert to reading the books on it as well. If I set the brightness level appropriately, I haven't noticed any more eye strain than reading a real book.
I'm very interested to watch this battle play out. Personally, I believe the eInk readers will have a tough time in the coming years.
Good post. Thanks.
John Cass
Insights from Pace's digital trends team.
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