13 replies to this topic

[JimFosterAutosport]

Dear all

I'm pleased to announce that the AUTOSPORT magazine iPad edition is finally launching tomorrow in the Apple Newsstand. Cost will be £2.99 per single issue, with subscription options also available.

Here are some FAQs I've assumed we'll be asked, along with answers... Let me know if you have anything else you need to know.

1) How much will it cost?
Single issues will be £2.99. Subscription options include quarterly (13 issues) for £34.99, six-monthly (26 issues) for £59.99 and a year (51 issues) for £114.99

2) Where can I get it?
Hopefully the following will work (I will find out tomorrow morning myself and update you if I'm wrong). Access Apple Newsstand on your iPad, go into the store and search. Hopefully it should be easy to find. You can buy it on your iTunes account in the normal, Apple-friendly way

3) Will there be any added content, bespoke to the iPad edition?
To start with, only a little. Barring any teething problems there should be some video in tomorrow's edition. At first we can't guarantee every issue will have added content, but in the near future we should be able to include additional bespoke audio from the AUTOSPORT podcast, videos and - when we've sorted some coding issues - extra gallery pics following each race weekend. These pics will be high-res and will hopefully look superb on the new iPad HD (3) when it comes out. In time, we want to create an iPad edition that gives the user a full interactive experience, taking the brand to a whole new level. Links to external websites will also be active.

4) Will it be available on Android tablet devices?
If you have an Android tablet, I'd recommend you purchase the digital mag via www.zinio.com, or the page-turner PDF version through AUTOSPORT.com - though at the moment both are just replica versions of the magazine. We're planning on duplicating the iPad version for Android, but it's not a simple thing to do and may take us a little while (but we will get there... Android is just a bit problematic owing to the proliferation of devices!)

5) Can I get it as part of my print subscription?
Good question! Because the chancellor in his wisdom has decreed that all digital magazines are 20% VAT-able, whereas print is not, we cannot offer any digital version of AUTOSPORT free to print subscribers any more. We'll honour any current print subscriber's digital access to the replica page turner issue on AUTOSPORT.com, but as soon as your current print sub period expires we will have to offer you the choice of continuing with a print only sub, or paying a small amount extra for digital access. The digital access premium should work out at £4.50 extra per 13 issues, £10 per 26 issues or £17.50 per 51 issues. So not a lot - and all that cash basically will go to the Treasury!

6) If I buy AUTOSPORT on the Apple Newsstand, will I get access to AUTOSPORT.com Plus Premium Content as well?
Not to start with - have a look at the question below...

7) Will I be able to buy the iPad edition through AUTOSPORT.com?
Yes, hopefully in a month or two. We're currently working on re-formulating all our digital subscription packages, making it a lot clearer as to what you get for your money. And we'll be introducing a new, simpler payment page, and the facility to buy digital subs with PayPal, as well as main-stream credit cards. We will have three digital-only packages available:

* Everything digital - includes iPad AUTOSPORT, full PLUS Premium Content access and FORIX
* The current PDF page turner edition of AUTOSPORT on the website, PLUS Premium Content and FORIX
* PLUS Premium Content and Forix only

All three options can be paid for on a monthly auto-renew subscription, or annual auto-renew subscription.

8 I currently subscribe to the simple PDF page-turner edition of AUTOSPORT on AUTOSPORT.com and will want to upgrade to the iPad version... Can I?
When we introduce the iPad version for sale on AUTOSPORT.com, yes. Just email the online subs option on this page http://www.autosport.com/contact.html and I will be happy to deal with any individual subscription requests. If necessary I will refund you for the duration of your PDF subscription remaining. Then you can start a new sub to the iPad version. I always endeavor to answer subs queries as quickly as I can and am fully aware that some of the above is confusing - our subscribers are very important to us and I do try and look after you, though don't be cross if it takes me a couple of days to reply as it's only me dealing with it all!


I think that's about it for now. If you do have any further questions, either email the online subs option at the above URL or ask in this thread. I'm here to help!

Very best wishes and for those of you that have iPads, I would definitely check out the new version of the mag - it's a historic day for a brand that's over 60 years old as it well and truly launches the magazine into a new digital era.

Thank you for your support

Jim

[Felix]

Dear all

I'm pleased to announce that the AUTOSPORT magazine iPad edition is finally launching tomorrow in the Apple Newsstand. Cost will be £2.99 per single issue, with subscription options also available.

Here are some FAQs I've assumed we'll be asked, along with answers... Let me know if you have anything else you need to know.

1) How much will it cost?
Single issues will be £2.99. Subscription options include quarterly (13 issues) for £34.99, six-monthly (26 issues) for £59.99 and a year (51 issues) for £114.99

2) Where can I get it?
Hopefully the following will work (I will find out tomorrow morning myself and update you if I'm wrong). Access Apple Newsstand on your iPad, go into the store and search. Hopefully it should be easy to find. You can buy it on your iTunes account in the normal, Apple-friendly way

3) Will there be any added content, bespoke to the iPad edition?
To start with, only a little. Barring any teething problems there should be some video in tomorrow's edition. At first we can't guarantee every issue will have added content, but in the near future we should be able to include additional bespoke audio from the AUTOSPORT podcast, videos and - when we've sorted some coding issues - extra gallery pics following each race weekend. These pics will be high-res and will hopefully look superb on the new iPad HD (3) when it comes out. In time, we want to create an iPad edition that gives the user a full interactive experience, taking the brand to a whole new level. Links to external websites will also be active.

4) Will it be available on Android tablet devices?
If you have an Android tablet, I'd recommend you purchase the digital mag via www.zinio.com, or the page-turner PDF version through AUTOSPORT.com - though at the moment both are just replica versions of the magazine. We're planning on duplicating the iPad version for Android, but it's not a simple thing to do and may take us a little while (but we will get there... Android is just a bit problematic owing to the proliferation of devices!)

5) Can I get it as part of my print subscription?
Good question! Because the chancellor in his wisdom has decreed that all digital magazines are 20% VAT-able, whereas print is not, we cannot offer any digital version of AUTOSPORT free to print subscribers any more. We'll honour any current print subscriber's digital access to the replica page turner issue on AUTOSPORT.com, but as soon as your current print sub period expires we will have to offer you the choice of continuing with a print only sub, or paying a small amount extra for digital access. The digital access premium should work out at £4.50 extra per 13 issues, £10 per 26 issues or £17.50 per 51 issues. So not a lot - and all that cash basically will go to the Treasury!

6) If I buy AUTOSPORT on the Apple Newsstand, will I get access to AUTOSPORT.com Plus Premium Content as well?
Not to start with - have a look at the question below...

7) Will I be able to buy the iPad edition through AUTOSPORT.com?
Yes, hopefully in a month or two. We're currently working on re-formulating all our digital subscription packages, making it a lot clearer as to what you get for your money. And we'll be introducing a new, simpler payment page, and the facility to buy digital subs with PayPal, as well as main-stream credit cards. We will have three digital-only packages available:

* Everything digital - includes iPad AUTOSPORT, full PLUS Premium Content access and FORIX
* The current PDF page turner edition of AUTOSPORT on the website, PLUS Premium Content and FORIX
* PLUS Premium Content and Forix only

All three options can be paid for on a monthly auto-renew subscription, or annual auto-renew subscription.

8 I currently subscribe to the simple PDF page-turner edition of AUTOSPORT on AUTOSPORT.com and will want to upgrade to the iPad version... Can I?
When we introduce the iPad version for sale on AUTOSPORT.com, yes. Just email the online subs option on this page http://www.autosport.com/contact.html and I will be happy to deal with any individual subscription requests. If necessary I will refund you for the duration of your PDF subscription remaining. Then you can start a new sub to the iPad version. I always endeavor to answer subs queries as quickly as I can and am fully aware that some of the above is confusing - our subscribers are very important to us and I do try and look after you, though don't be cross if it takes me a couple of days to reply as it's only me dealing with it all!


I think that's about it for now. If you do have any further questions, either email the online subs option at the above URL or ask in this thread. I'm here to help!

Very best wishes and for those of you that have iPads, I would definitely check out the new version of the mag - it's a historic day for a brand that's over 60 years old as it well and truly launches the magazine into a new digital era.

Thank you for your support

Jim

Jim, the way I understand it is that VAT should only be paid on goods consumed or used in the UK, so therefore VAT should surely not be levied on digital subs for readers outside the UK? Apologies for chucking this spanner in the works...but another motor mag offering digital access does not charge VAT separately. PM me for more details if reqd.

[JimFosterAutosport]

Jim, the way I understand it is that VAT should only be paid on goods consumed or used in the UK, so therefore VAT should surely not be levied on digital subs for readers outside the UK? Apologies for chucking this spanner in the works...but another motor mag offering digital access does not charge VAT separately. PM me for more details if reqd.

That's a good point Felix and we are looking into this - I'll make it clear in the above that I'm referring to £ UK subscribers at the moment.

As an aside that's worth debating, the digital premium for print subscribers will also include access to PLUS and Forix, so it's still great value. To be honest I think it's worth offering print subscribers the option - print only, or a small premium for digital access, regardless of the VAT issue. Thoughts anyone?

[Phil Lee]

I just bought 22nd March issue of Autosport on my iPad. It's the first time I've bought a digital copy of Autosport. I bought it knowing it was a digital replica of the magazine rather than one using real text assets etc but have to say I'm not very impressed with the appearance on my new iPad. The cover shows terrible artifacting around the logo and headline, text is fuzzy and some of the illustrations are hard to read. Do you have a new iPad to test on? If you haven't you really ought to get one.

[JimFosterAutosport]

Hi Phil

Thanks for that feedback - I assume you're using an iPad 3? In which case, no, we all have iPad 2s. This is Haymarket!!!

I will forward your feedback onto the relevant person here, as this will be an issue with Pixel Mags, the company whose technology we use to get the mag onto the app store. It all looks great on the iPad 2...

I'll let you know where we get

Best wishes

Jim

[Phil Lee]

Hi Jim

I did mean a new iPad with a retina display. I can post a screenshot if you need one.

[JimFosterAutosport]

Hi Phil

No it's fine, I have let Pixel Mags (who supply the technology for our iPad app) know about it. I am sure they are on the case to upgrade the app to suit.

Thanks for letting me know - much appreciated

Jim

[mikepaterson]

Hi Jim,
Thanks for your email today directing me to this thread.

Regarding Point 5 above, if the ipad edition was provided free to all subscribers, then the VAT would be 20% of nothing whch I'd be happy to pay.

Cheers
Mike

[se7en_24]

An interesting article which reminded me of this thread:

http://www.reghardwa..._sucky_not_hot/

I hadn't realised how bad the upscaling was on the iPad 3, could be part of the problem here.

Edited by se7en_24, 06 April 2012 - 21:21.

[JimFosterAutosport]

An interesting article which reminded me of this thread:

http://www.reghardwa..._sucky_not_hot/

I hadn't realised how bad the upscaling was on the iPad 3, could be part of the problem here.

Thanks for that link - the part about the developers is spot on. Pixel Mags, whose tech we use to produce the iPad version of Autosport each month, are on the case optimising for iPad 3. I've been away for a couple of weeks so they might already have done it, it's on my list of things to check.

In the meantime, all iPad 2 users out there, you've got no worries - iPad 3 users, we're on the case

Cheers

Jim

[Tomecek]

Digital magazine available on iPad but not yet on webportal? ;(

[Tomecek]

Digital magazine available on iPad but not yet on webportal? ;(

Here it comes ;)

[sidepodcast]

love the retina fixes. text is now legible. two further requests though:

- with digital, there's no printing press or physical delivery required. could the issues not be made available once 'signed off', rather than delaying them until print subscribers catch up?

- many pages still suffer from 'print first' syndrome, suffering page spanning issues. a two page spread doesn't work at all on a tablet, and other companies using PixelMag technology have started laying out their digital editions more optimally (e.g - http://bit.ly/J4zMXn ). any plans to support this too?

cheers

[Phil Lee]

I'm revisiting the subject of Autosport on the iPad because I do not feel there is an optimal solution for it yet. At the moment there are the following ways of getting Autosport on the iPad:

• Subscribe via the website. As a Plus subscriber I can add this for $108 (£67.03) per year on top of my grandfathered $48 (£29.79) Plus subscription. This gets you a PDF copy which you have to manually transfer to the iPad.
• Subscribe via Zinio at £93.33 for 51 issues. This gets you a version which automatically downloads into the Zinio app and can be read elsewhere too.
• Subscribe via Apple Newstand at £109.99 for 51 issues which can only be rad on the iPad.

None of these options are optimal as far as I'm concerned. This is mainly down to the technology (or lack of) used in the digital magazine production. No matter which method you chose to subscribe to, you get a very basic PDF replica of the magazine. I can see little difference in quality between the Zinio and Pixelmags versions of the magazine (I've bought both to test). I've not seen a recent copy of the PDF version to compare that.

What I want is something similar to what MacWorld offer their subscribers. I pay $19.99 a year to be a MacWorld.com Insider. This gets me additional articles and an ad free site (same business model as Autosport.com Plus). I also pay $19.99 for a Zinio subscription with a 50% discount as a MacWorld.com Insider. The MacWorld Zinio magazine is far superior to the Autosport equivalent. The rendering of the magazine pages is much clearer and each article offers a text only view, similar to Instapaper.

Do you have any plans of simplifying the digital magazine subscription model in the short term and also are there any plans to improve the quality of the digital offering?