After being on the market for 36 hours, the iPad has no doubt brought new life into the battered publishing industry. The tablet computer has opened a new chapter, and will reshape the relationship between readers and printed publications. The first most notable different being how we consume our daily paper.
The Wall Street Journal app, available for free through the App Store, is nothing short of disappointing. Although it redefines digital publishing through the inclusion of video and ease of navigating the publication like an actual newspaper, how will consumers see this if the "free" app has completely locked content?
It is understandable the WSJ offered their publication on a subscription basis to start, yet as a subscriber to the print edition, I would expect a free trial for the iPad offering at the very least. $17.20 a month is a steep price to pay for an online version, when I can just log on through safari and read my digital copy.
This app is the first major test of the sustainability of the iPad and users' willingness to pay for content, since much of it can be obtained on the web for free. I'm willing to pay for content, I subscribe to a "dying" medium. All I want is a digital supplement, but not at a price point higher than my semester subscription cost. WSJ, get back in touch with reality.
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