Magazine computing
I had a bit of an epiphany this morning while reading a paper copy of Wired in bed. After finishing an article on the history of hacking and its future in the world of entrepreneurs, a subscription card spiraled its way out onto the comforter. This left me pondering the fact that, due to the advertising within, this huge collection of words and pictures representing days of work could be sold for $1 per subscribed issue. And further considering the reality that I am, in truth, more willing to look at ads in Wired from companies that I’d otherwise ignore because I have a real respect for this particular magazine and its writers, editors and creative directors. I also read every issue cover to cover, even if I’m not particularly interested in, say, a feature on the future of insulin pumps. I don’t do this with Wired online content, as proven by the fact that I merely skimmed it on my iPhone moments after putting the paper magazine down to hop over to wired.com.
I also started thinking in parallel about an article from Ars Technica entitled Curated computing: what’s next for devices in a post-iPad world, an article which I really liked but didn’t entirely grasp the scope of until just a few minutes ago.
The iPad is computing as a magazine.
There has been a lot of talk about reading magazines and other print media on the iPad and how this will save these dead tree industries. I think it might. But I’m now thinking more broadly than that.
Just like how Wired can curate the best of the geek world each month, surrounding it in a shell of hard-fought credibility, respect and cool, the iPad does the same for computing experiences. They are curated, as Ars suggests but they are also an experience unto themselves by virtue of being presented on the iPad. Just like I’m willing to delve more deeply into Wired’s content when its in front of me in paper form than on a website, I’m more willing to pursue any content on the iPad because I like engaging with the iPad.
And, thus, magazine computing. (I’m coining it now.)
(From Case for the iPad)