iPad Magazine Subscriptions Finally A Reality
by Joe White
August 20, 2010
After several months of curious foreplay, Apple has finally allowed the popular magazine, People, to offer its print subscribers free access to the digital iPad version of the publication.
Indeed, as AppleInsider reports, this marks the first case of an offer such as this, and many of Time Inc.'s other publications (Fortune, Time, and Sports Illustrated) are expected to do the same in the very near future.
In fact, according to Philip Elmer-DeWitt (of Fortune), subscribers to Time Inc.'s other publications should expect to be granted free access to digital versions within the next 30 days. So, if you subscribe to any of Time Inc.'s magazines, do not purchase the digital version through iTunes. Instead, wait a month, and (hopefully) you'll be able to access the iPad magazine content for free.
Currently, nobody's exactly sure why Apple didn't allow this earlier. Yet, I guess it doesn't matter now. Time Inc.'s recently-granted ability to offer free digital versions of its magazines to subscribers means other companies may follow suit and do the same.
For now, if you subscribe to any print magazine that has a digital counterpart available in the App Store, I guess the best thing to do would be to hold off on purchasing the iPad version. Hopefully soon, it'll be made available to you for free.