Will Apple's iPad save the publishing industry?

Iain McDonald says NO

Founder and ECD
Amnesia Razorfish

“Unfortunately Apple has missed the opportunity to produce a ‘game changer’ in this instance.

It’s not doom and gloom for the publishing industry, because the whole e-reader market is just opening up. Kindle is going strong (the black and white screen isn’t proving a barrier at present), and with many devices coming out in 2010 there’s a lot of hope (don’t write off Microsoft and the rumoured ‘Courier’ tablet).

E-paper, the foldable, lightweight, low-power, colour screen technology is not far away commercially, and I expect it will be the device that truly cracks the market.

The iPad lacks a real killer app, lacks the functionality of many netbooks of the same price and has failed to leap ahead of iPhone functionality with much needed features like multitasking. As a web browser it doesn’t yet support Adobe Flash, which many websites need.

Apple does have an interesting solution for publishers with its ‘.lp’ format which allows static and rich content to be packaged up as a single file but it’s early days for that.

The iPad may well sell enough units to survive, but faces too much competition in the near future to make an iPhone -style impact.”

William Moss says NO

Director
Burson-Marsteller China

“No - at least, not on its own. The question is based on two assumptions: First, that the publishing industry needs saving, second that one device is the key to the future.

The publishing industry as a whole isn’t going anywhere. It is, however, in the midst of a painful transformation. Publishing needs evolving more than it needs saving, some parts more urgently than others.

Technology has shifted advertising dollars and made a lot of free content available, both legitimately and through piracy.
However, it has also opened up countless new channels, especially in the last two or three years, as smartphones, ultra-light computers, e-book readers and pervasive networks have made digital content more convenient and, importantly, more personal.

But there is no one technological platform for the future. The key is for the industry to make its products flexible and usable enough that people can comfortably access, buy and use them on whatever platform best suits them, whether that’s a Kindle, iPad, phone, laptop or even ink on paper.”

Reginald Chua says NO

Editor-in-chief
SCMP

“From everything I’ve seen, the iPad looks to be the next big thing - and certainly Apple has had a long record of industry-changing products. It certainly won’t hurt to have another interface that lets news media companies connect with their audience in better ways. But that’s only one part of the equation.

What’s just as - or more - important is the quality of the information: how it’s presented, how it engages users, and what value they derive from it. That means a real rethink of what companies do and how they do it, and is much more than getting it to people on a new tablet. Not that it hurts.

At the South China Morning Post, we’re working hard to integrate digital processes and thinking into all we do; change won’t come overnight, but as we move down this road, you’ll be able to see the fruits of this shift.”

Stephen Li says YES

CEO
MEC South and Southeast Asia

“Let’s be clear, it’s just really a big iTouch isn’t it? But it’s definitely another step towards a digital publishing industry. Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading division, thinks that the iPad will help the digital book market surpass print sales within five years. The launch of iBooks will allow publishers to set their own pricing, rather than work within the current Amazon model.

What of newspaper and magazine publishing, though - a saviour? Potentially, if the iPad becomes the device which allows advertisers to develop messages and stunning content, thus allowing the user to take control and turn a message into an ‘organic conversation’ which is immediate, mobile, highly personal and exceptionally engaging.

This type of relevant, fluid, adaptable content could create a value proposition which consumers and advertisers alike may find very engaging. Likewise it could, with the right input, provide better analytics, targeting opportunities and ROI. All this is of course as much down to the creativity and responsiveness of agencies and advertisers as to the publishers. So the future of publications could look quite bright.”

Here is Media editor-in-chief Atifa Silk's perspective on the tablet.

This article was originally published in the 11 February 2010 issue of Media.