I like the column design that looks like a newspaper. I think that will be key in attracting more online readers. But, why would anybody spend extra money on a device just to read online content? In addition to the cost, there’s the extra space to store and carry such devices.
FYI: Editors and contributors will be holding a wake in NYC tonight for some of the regional sections that will die after this Sunday, 5.17. A few years ago, NYT took a lot of money out of the pockets of its freelancers with a contract that moved reprints sells from the photographer to a cheaper split with the paper.
The same reason you’d buy a Kindle; so you can read on the subway, train or at the beach etc and it hopefully is much lighter than a even the MacBook Air.
I doubt anyone will do it right and make the formatting open; most likely each device will have its own special formatting to force you to buy their device and their copies of books, newspapers and magazines.
@Mike, so the question becomes, what’s so great about the particular publication that would make you WANT to invest in the devices to read on the subway, etc.? If I can already read it on my iPhone, what’s the point?
@Former NYT Shooter, because the iPhone screen is small, very small. Its good for reading news blasts and seeing breaking news photos and family snap shoots.
The reason graphic design evolved on books, magazines, newspapers and web sites is the the combining of graphics, photos, and text into a coherent display works.
My complaint about the NY Times is that the present management has run my stock down from $50 a share to pennies a share.
Blah, Blah, Blah, lots of words from people that don’t have a clue as to which direction things will go. Nothing will happen until said media producer, take you pick, magazine,newspaper, multinational conglomerate decides that you’ll get a FREE viewing device with your 3 year subscription.
THEN we’ll see movement into this sort of device.
Getting closer to the future… All of this is definitely exciting but the technology is still barely into it’s fetal stage.
The Kindle, even with it’s LIMITED ability, sold millions and millions of devices at a $400 price tag. Free isn’t going to make much of a difference at all. Content that generates demand will be the key.
Thanks for posting this, Rob. I have been curious for awhile now what products have been secretly developed behind closed doors. It is a little disappointing they’re not further along though. The iPhone has been out for almost two years already. Kindle too. Go R&D, go!
@Chris Schultz, That’s what I’m saying. As a consumer, I’m not going to buy some special device JUST to read the NY Times. It’s different for a device that enables multiple publications.
There’s a difference between reading a book on Kindle and using a device to read the news. I might want a Kindle to allow me to catch up on my reading during down times, such as the morning commute. But, why would I buy a device to read news that I can get from other sources?
The only way for this to work is to have an open standard like HTML. If we have competing proprietary formats it will die. Simple as that.
I don’t need a software license to read the Los Angeles Times print edition or on the web. And I won’t use any device that requires me to accept a license.
That rfid tagged magazine, didn’t Wired do something similar with a product called the CueCat?
I understand that we’ve come a long way since 2000, but really is a URL is too hard to type in? I don’t have any magazines near my work area; I read on my commute.
Work in this direction is important, but I didn’t see anything that really seems that significant, the flexible [but not foldable!] display aside.
@chad chabot, I’d forgotten about the CueCat. It was a complete debacle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat Anything involving digital advertising like this or the one in the video is going to have major privacy concerns.
Q. And how is that different than crossing the road reading the print edition and getting whacked by a bus?
A. The print edition version of this scenario is much more cinematic with the sheets of paper fluttering back and forth before eventually landing near the body, soaking up the blood as it pools around the lifeless body on the ground.
[…] A Photo Editor länkade till den här videon från NY Times forskningsavdelning. Spännande att se hur de jobbar. Är det någon i Sverige som håller på med sånt här än? av Jesper Friday, May 15th, 2009 kl. 6:34 pm i Annat Du kan följa kommentarerna till det här inlägget genom en RSS 2.0-feed. Du kan lämna en kommentar, eller trackback från din egen blogg. […]
Is there a rule somewhere that all tech clips have to be with a geek with unsolved childhood issues and sqeeky voice? Why not hire someone who CAN speak in front of a camera instead of monkey boy?
16 Comments
I like the column design that looks like a newspaper. I think that will be key in attracting more online readers. But, why would anybody spend extra money on a device just to read online content? In addition to the cost, there’s the extra space to store and carry such devices.
FYI: Editors and contributors will be holding a wake in NYC tonight for some of the regional sections that will die after this Sunday, 5.17. A few years ago, NYT took a lot of money out of the pockets of its freelancers with a contract that moved reprints sells from the photographer to a cheaper split with the paper.
Karma’s a bitch!
The same reason you’d buy a Kindle; so you can read on the subway, train or at the beach etc and it hopefully is much lighter than a even the MacBook Air.
I doubt anyone will do it right and make the formatting open; most likely each device will have its own special formatting to force you to buy their device and their copies of books, newspapers and magazines.
@Mike, so the question becomes, what’s so great about the particular publication that would make you WANT to invest in the devices to read on the subway, etc.? If I can already read it on my iPhone, what’s the point?
@Former NYT Shooter, because the iPhone screen is small, very small. Its good for reading news blasts and seeing breaking news photos and family snap shoots.
The reason graphic design evolved on books, magazines, newspapers and web sites is the the combining of graphics, photos, and text into a coherent display works.
My complaint about the NY Times is that the present management has run my stock down from $50 a share to pennies a share.
A current new approach to reading the NY Times can be found at: http://prototype.nytimes.com/gst/articleSkimmer/
Blah, Blah, Blah, lots of words from people that don’t have a clue as to which direction things will go. Nothing will happen until said media producer, take you pick, magazine,newspaper, multinational conglomerate decides that you’ll get a FREE viewing device with your 3 year subscription.
THEN we’ll see movement into this sort of device.
Getting closer to the future… All of this is definitely exciting but the technology is still barely into it’s fetal stage.
The Kindle, even with it’s LIMITED ability, sold millions and millions of devices at a $400 price tag. Free isn’t going to make much of a difference at all. Content that generates demand will be the key.
Thanks for posting this, Rob. I have been curious for awhile now what products have been secretly developed behind closed doors. It is a little disappointing they’re not further along though. The iPhone has been out for almost two years already. Kindle too. Go R&D, go!
@Chris Schultz, That’s what I’m saying. As a consumer, I’m not going to buy some special device JUST to read the NY Times. It’s different for a device that enables multiple publications.
There’s a difference between reading a book on Kindle and using a device to read the news. I might want a Kindle to allow me to catch up on my reading during down times, such as the morning commute. But, why would I buy a device to read news that I can get from other sources?
The only way for this to work is to have an open standard like HTML. If we have competing proprietary formats it will die. Simple as that.
I don’t need a software license to read the Los Angeles Times print edition or on the web. And I won’t use any device that requires me to accept a license.
That rfid tagged magazine, didn’t Wired do something similar with a product called the CueCat?
I understand that we’ve come a long way since 2000, but really is a URL is too hard to type in? I don’t have any magazines near my work area; I read on my commute.
Work in this direction is important, but I didn’t see anything that really seems that significant, the flexible [but not foldable!] display aside.
Thanks for posting.
@chad chabot, I’d forgotten about the CueCat. It was a complete debacle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat Anything involving digital advertising like this or the one in the video is going to have major privacy concerns.
And as each of their readers cross the street while reading and get whacked by a bus, their circulation will continue to fall.
@T. C. Knight,
Q. And how is that different than crossing the road reading the print edition and getting whacked by a bus?
A. The print edition version of this scenario is much more cinematic with the sheets of paper fluttering back and forth before eventually landing near the body, soaking up the blood as it pools around the lifeless body on the ground.
And Darwinism continues. Kindle or not.
[…] A Photo Editor länkade till den här videon från NY Times forskningsavdelning. Spännande att se hur de jobbar. Är det någon i Sverige som håller på med sånt här än? av Jesper Friday, May 15th, 2009 kl. 6:34 pm i Annat Du kan följa kommentarerna till det här inlägget genom en RSS 2.0-feed. Du kan lämna en kommentar, eller trackback från din egen blogg. […]
Is there a rule somewhere that all tech clips have to be with a geek with unsolved childhood issues and sqeeky voice? Why not hire someone who CAN speak in front of a camera instead of monkey boy?
@Ion Ion, Monkeyboy?
Ah I am geek and there is no doubt that I do not have a squeaky [spelling counts] voice.
I am a 64 year old semi-geek; semi because I know many people who know more math and code than I do.
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