'The New Yorker' expands to Apple's iPad

The New Yorker introduced a premium application for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad tablet, adding new pressure on the computing giant to offer publishers a subscription-based pricing option via the App Store. Priced at $4.99 per single-issue download, The New Yorker for iPad will update many cornerstones of the venerable weekly print publication, touting animated covers, slideshows and bonus content like video and additional cartoons--The Wall Street Journal reports that in advance of the app's launch, New Yorker editors were sent home with iPad units and asked to report back on which page layouts and type sizes proved most conducive to reading the long-form feature articles and short stories on which the magazine's reputation rests. "This magazine is about reading," editor David Remnick said.

Executives from The New Yorker and publisher Condé Nast tell the WSJ that the true value and impact of magazine-based iPad applications will not be realized until Apple offers consumers subscription-based purchase alternatives. "It is important to The New Yorker that we have offerings that allow long-term relationships with the consumers," said Condé Nast president Bob Sauerberg. "Obviously, we don't have that in place for the moment with Apple. We are very keen to do that." Remnick said he hopes to offer readers a subscription option including access to the magazine in print, online and across connected devices; however, Apple is reportedly unwilling to share App Store user information like names with its publishing partners.

For more on The New Yorker for iPad:
- read this Wall Street Journal article

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