15 ms·

The Magazine

317 points by rkudeshi 14y ago

D3 14y ago
Could not make sense of this at all. It claimed that geeks use iOS or Apple-anything, which is patently untrue. The denomination they're looking for is 'hipster'.
RexRollman 14y ago
Periodicals as applications is a silly idea, IMHO. I can't bring myself to support this, even though I am a happy Instapaper user.
- k-mcgrady 14y ago
  Why is it a silly idea? Could you explain further?
  - RexRollman 14y ago
    In my opinion, this is like creating a magazine that can only be read while sitting in an Eames chair.
    - artursapek 14y ago
      What an awesome line.
    - Steko 14y ago
      You mean like a radio show that is only on a special satellite radio?
stephengillie 14y ago
It publishes four articles every two weeks for $1.99 per month with a 7-day free trial. If I get a 7-day trial, how do I know that those 7 days will coincide with the 14 day article release cycle? This doesn't line up, as though it were designed to be confusing. That sentence is worded strangely - talking about a future project you're organizing as though it's an object of someone else's which already exists. It sounds impersonal and odd. How about: "The Magazine will publish eight articles per month at a price of $1.99, and we offer a one week free trial."
- guan 14y ago
  According to the App Store description, you get access to all back issues with the 7-day free trial.
  - smackfu 14y ago
    So the optimal behavior is to wait a few months to use your free trial.
    - hullo 14y ago
      I guess it all depends on the person, but optimizing the optimal application of two one dollar bills is unlikely ever to be an optimal optimization of most of the target demographic's time, whether they realize it or not.
      - smackfu 14y ago
        If I try it now, I get to see four articles for free. If I try it in two months (if it's still around), I get 16 articles for free. That seems like a much better sample of the content -- especially since if I was the publisher I would use my best articles for the launch and they might not be typical.
        shinratdr 14y ago
        Sure, but you're withholding support to save two dollars. Most people's time is more valuable than that.
      - stephengillie 14y ago
        Indeed the full rate is close to a couple of ad-supported-magazine subscriptions, or less than 1 hour of pay for most of HN. My point was more about the confused wording of the value proposition than the value itself. Confused people spend money less than confident people.
        14y ago
JCB_K 14y ago
On the one hand I'm very excited by this; I see Marco as an interesting writer/speaker, when it comes to iOS development or when he geeks out about whatever gear he's recently bought. I also expect him to be a great editor, so I'd gladly pay money for a magazine put together by him. But on the other hand...I'm really wondering why this needs to be an iOS app. Written content is perfect for publishing on the web, I really don't think you'll be running into any speed issues when you release this as a web magazine. And even if you would, why not make the content available both native and on the web? I'm aware that Marco is an iOS developer, and that a lot of his readers (myself included) will have iOS devices, but for the sake of the open web I'm still slightly disappointed.
- asolove 14y ago
  Because charging for content on the web doesn't work. While I love the web and wait for a day when we can do micropayments or deep-linking with paywalls or something, the biggest advance someone could make today is to demonstrate a digital-only business model.
  - jpdoctor 14y ago
    > Because charging for content on the web doesn't work. Yes it does, but the competition is extreme and not very many people are good at making it an honest-to-god business with profit. If you are good at it, you make money hand-over-fist at the moment.
    - fooandbarify 14y ago
      Are you talking about information products or paywalls or something else entirely?
      - peto123 14y ago
        I believe he is talking about the web's equivalent of newspaper or magazine. Like whole magazine published as a website, where users would pay for each "issue" or monthly access. This model doesn't work, with maybe a few very rare exceptions.
Goronmon 14y ago
Hopefully platform exclusive stuff like this doesn't become popular.
- dasil003 14y ago
  Become popular? It's the state of nature of computing. Cross-platform is only a recent phenomenon.
  - Goronmon 14y ago
    I don't remember it ever being common to have to buy hardware from a specific vendor in order to read the news, a magazine or a book.
    - hrabago 14y ago
      It's common for sources of entertainment and/or information to be platform-specific.
      - ruswick 14y ago
        I don't think this is true (game consoles notwithstanding). Throughout history, there have been but a few mediums in use at a single time. Most of the time, all these platforms were supported. (Now, it's any number of content distributers on the web, DVD/CD and Blu Ray. 10 years ago, it was DVD and VHS.) The notion of products bound to a specific platform or medium rose primarily with the popularization of consumer computing, and software likely remains the most platform-specific content available.
        dasil003 14y ago
        So you owned a PC and not a Mac in the late 80s/90s then?
- simonh 14y ago
  Hopefully other platforms will develop ecosystems and service platforms attractive to stuff like this.
incision 14y ago
Sounds good, I'd love to give it a try, but it appears to be tied to iOS. Confining what appears be minimalist text content to an app on a single platform seems a bit silly.
- rlt3 14y ago
  From what I understand, it uses Newsstand. I don't use Android (so, please, correct me if I'm wrong), but I don't think Android has a single, unified Newsstand-like app to handle subscriptions and that kind of thing.
  - Goronmon 14y ago
    Google Play Magazines https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.magazines https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...
    - rlt3 14y ago
      Well, there you go. (I googled 'android newsstand alternative' to no avail). Yea, I guess it is weird that this doesn't exist on Android.
    - andybak 14y ago
      Unfortunately US only at the moment. Not sure what I find more irritating. US only or iOS only. Both really. It's all one big step backwards.
      - moheeb 14y ago
        I find the people that complain about 'US only' to be the most irritating. Either move to the US already or code up your own.
        peto123 14y ago
        Cool idea. I will move to US so I can read The Magazine. ;-)
joeguilmette 14y ago
I would be all over this if there was a Kindle option. I don't like reading on LCD screens, especially when I have a gadget that is 100% dedicated to reading.
- reaganing 14y ago
  That would be very nice. I primarily read Instapaper (Marco's more well-known creation) on my Kindle rather than my tablets or phone.
- jdechko 14y ago
  For all of the integration between Instapaper and Kindle, I think that it's a possibility.
- smackfu 14y ago
  Yeah, it's odd considering Marco already produces very nice Kindle articles out of Instapaper, so he's familiar with the format. And Kindle supports subscriptions.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  In The Magazine FAQ Marco says he's looking at the options for Kindle. I'd be surprised if there's not a plan towards having it given Marco seems to be a very big fan of the e-ink Kindles.
andyjohnson0 14y ago
This looks like material that I'd really like to read. Unfortunately I have no way to access it, since I don't own an iOS device. I wonder why Marco wants to limit his readership to relatively small intersection between iOS 6 device owners and people who are interested in the subject matter. Isn't this rather restricting for him? (edit: iOS 6)
- alexpenny 14y ago
  What if he did have a big launch, with an app for android and a web version? What if it was a big failure and he lost more money than he made? Would that have made sense? This is a new product that he is testing the waters with. He chose the quickest and most effective way of doing this.
- rsynnott 14y ago
  iOS is probably the easiest platform on which to do a subscription publication and reach a large audience. People are often unwilling to pay for subscription content on the web because they have to fill in a credit card form, and there can be problems with cancelling, and Android's subscription magazine thingy is US-only.
aresant 14y ago
Next months cover story "Defending my choice of iOS to launch this magazine" I am amused that by appealing to the tech audience Marco set his release up to be nitpicked not for content or concept but by platform choice. Fitting but almost too meta.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  I think at least part of the reaction to his platform choice is the way he is branding and positioning it. Calling it simply "The Magazine" for "geeks like us" is bound to ruffle some feathers, because there are a lot of geeks out there (disclaimer: I am certainly one of them) who think that Apple, despite their admittedly unmatched ability to create delightful hardware designs, is the primary negative actor out there when it comes to limiting what "geeks like us" are allowed to do with our hardware. And to be clear, I'm not some card-carrying member of the FSF or anything, I think Stallman is far too extremist, but I agree with him as far as Apple's negative influence on computing freedom is concerned. Had this been initially positioned with the iOS slant it will surely have given the backer and the exclusive platform it will exist for, I doubt you'd be seeing nearly as much grumbling about it.
  - smackfu 14y ago
    This is the same Marco who doesn't know anyone who uses a PC to develop. "Geeks like us" means a much different thing to him than to a lot of people.
    - doe88 14y ago
      It is also the same guy able to speak about his server design decisions and for instance about his new SNB Xeons. So I guess even if he doesn't use PC he remotely connects to non-OSX systems. Moreover, I'm not living in the bay area or new york but even where I am, I see less and less PC around me. Myself, I personally use a PC but it runs OS X.
  - nsmartt 14y ago
    >I think Stallman is far too extremist The more I see of Apple, Microsoft, and others, the less I think so. I certainly don't see eye-to-eye with him on everything, but it's becoming clear to me that we need alternatives that fit his criteria. Cell phone and tablet operating systems that are completely open, easy to modify (and easy to distribute modifications), and easy to use from a consumer point of view would change my world. I'd use it in a heartbeat, and I dearly hope this is what Firefox OS will be. I'd like to see a world that's more accommodating for Stallman. I'd also like to see a world that's less accommodating for Facebook et al.
techpeace 14y ago
I can't seem to get the "start your free trial" link to function from the "Introduction" article.
- k-mcgrady 14y ago
  That just launched the in-app purchase alert for me. Then when I paid I swiped right to access the menu. It could be that you have in-app purchase disabled on your device.
crazygringo 14y ago
I was very excited about this, so I tried installing it on my iPhone 4S, with iOS5, and it says: This app requires iOS 6. Really?! Already?? :( I didn't upgrade because I want to keep my maps app. I hope Marco changes it to be iOS 5-compatible, since I know a lot of people who aren't upgrading to iOS 6 until it has decent maps.
- dasil003 14y ago
  He talked about this over multiple episodes on Build & Analyze. You would be shocked at the iOS 6 adoption numbers.
  - gyardley 14y ago
    Apparently I'm the only guy still using a first-generation iPad. Oh well.
    - dasil003 14y ago
      I have one too actually, but I don't care because I'm not into paid ipad magazines.
      - tstegart 14y ago
        Are you into free ones? shameless plug
        famousactress 14y ago
        Worked. Downloading... Nicely done!
        tstegart 14y ago
        Sweeeeet! I hope you enjoy it. The article on Rwanda in the first issue just won an award, so be sure to check that out.
zach 14y ago
For those of you wondering why The Magazine is on iOS (first) and not a website, the answer is simple. Marco is just replicating the successful Instapaper business model: http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-Readability-and-Instapaper-business-models-How-do-they-differ/answer/Marco-Arment http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-Readability-and-Instapaper...
- smackfu 14y ago
  You mean, "I sell an app for money, then I spend less than I make." This seems like a quite different business model than what's he's trying here, with a free app but paid subscriptions and paying authors and such. The Instapaper model is much simpler... but it's clear Marco doesn't really like it much any more, since you only make money by selling the app once but it costs you to support those users forever. So "spend less than I make" eventually gets very difficult if sales trail off.
  - zach 14y ago
    This is totally the same as Instapaper but instead of an app, it's magazine issues. All paid-subscriptions magazines still appear as free apps on iOS, but they either offer a free sample or a free trial. In this case, it's a free trial, which makes sense when it's the first issue! But don't be surprised if The Magazine switches to a free sample. That's especially worth noting if you're expecting to optimize for a free trial. My point is that Marco doesn't have any expertise selling advertising, as many would like him to do, and does have a lot of experience selling through the App Store. He's just keeping the business model as constant as possible.
- ryanwatkins 14y ago
  Doing it as an iOS app like this also prevents you from doing "Share to Pocket / Readability" like you would be able to with a website -- keeps you from scraping the content out of the publishers site.
  - duck 14y ago
    Ironic, eh?
msrpotus 14y ago
Sounds like Hacker News but on iOS and curated by Marco. While I'm sure he's a great guy, I get something pretty similar for free, right here.
- antirez 14y ago
  Hacker Monthly (that publishes only entries appeared here in HN) now has an iPad app as well, I know it because it was developed by the company of my close friends where I'm an advisor and shareholder. They also provide an Android version for the same publishing platform.
- nicholassmith 14y ago
  You get something similar but completely different. Content is the king on this one, and if people are writing exclusive articles then you're either not going to see them for a month or at all.
tstegart 14y ago
Try searching for "The Magazine" in the App Store. Shows you how well Apple's search algorithms work. App Store SEO is a black box, and I'm not even sure how Marco would improve his ranking with a name like "The Magazine." *Note - iPad 1 can see the app in the App Store, but can't use it as it requires iOS 6.
- danbee 14y ago
  It is a bit ambiguous, but I found it by searching for "the magazine geeks".
  - tstegart 14y ago
    I guess we'll find out how far Apple is behind Google when it comes to search. I couldn't find the ranking for "The Magazine" because it was too far back. But presumably as it becomes more popular, it should move up in the rankings. For example, when people search on Google, the pages that get clicked on move up in the rankings, until the most useful page it at the top. Hopefully, as people search for "The Magazine" and then download it it will move up in the rankings. But if it doesn't, it shows you how far behind Apple is. I think Google has done this for almost a decade.
- chipotle_coyote 14y ago
  I only partially agree. My suspicion is that the search algorithm -- like many text search algorithms -- drops articles, leaving only "magazine" as the search term, and then suddenly your algorithm is hosed. I think Apple should prioritize a title which, when you drop its articles, is an exact match for the search term, but I've seen other people argue that Apple needs to take into account popularity and star ratings in the result order, which they probably do. And at this point "The Magazine" isn't going to be nearly as popular as other things with "magazine" in the title. While I appreciate the Zen nature of The Magazine as a title, for search algorithms it may be the equivalent of naming your company "There" (a place I worked at briefly): it's very clever, but it's damn hard to search for.
  - tstegart 14y ago
tlrobinson 14y ago
I can't see to get the App Store URL to work.
brackin 14y ago
I believe that content should be written for a platform. Which is why putting magazines on newsstand by putting images in an application hasn't sold well. This content targets the iOS using audience and is written for the format. The tools iOS provide will at least allow them to test if selling an iOS only publication works.
Osmium 14y ago
I've just been looking through the most popular Newsstand apps, and it suddenly occurred to me what's wrong with it: all the thumbnails are of print magazine covers, and they're all too small to read! If that doesn't scream "doing it wrong" I don't know what does. The cover's meant to advertise the issue and make me want to buy it and I can't even read it. Why does Newsstand not have a "In this issue" tab when you preview the app? Why do I have to buy the whole issue instead of just an article? Why can't I have a central list of articles, that I can search, and favourite and share? The Newsstand API isn't aggressive enough. It needs to bring these publications into the future before we lose them. Traditional print publications, which are producing quality journalism, need to adapt to new technology and release something like what Marco's doing here instead of trying to cram their paper format into an app with all the cruft that that entails.
- shinratdr 14y ago
  > Why does Newsstand not have a "In this issue" tab when you preview the app? You can download the app and preview the magazine. > Why do I have to buy the whole issue instead of just an article? Because nobody sells content like this, it's not just limited to magazines. > Why can't I have a central list of articles, that I can search, and favourite and share? Because magazine companies are trapped in the past.
inmygarage 14y ago
Protip: If you're searching in the app store, don't type "The Magazine", it won't come up. Instead use "The Magazine Marco" if you want to download.
- kefs 14y ago
  Protip: If you're coming up with a name for your new app, don't choose such a ubiquitous name as "The Magazine". An effective SEO strategy, mobile or web, will be a nightmare to develop/implement.
  - mlchild 14y ago
    Counterpoint: maybe just name it what you think is the best name and assume you'll be able to figure out the rest.
  - sequoia 14y ago
    Heh... my primary objection to the name "the magazine" is how unbelievably pompous it is. It implies that the magazine is a new concept that he created. Perhaps he can get a software patent on this new- what do you call it "mak-ah-seen" thing. :)
    - shinratdr 14y ago
      > It implies that the magazine is a new concept that he created. Not really, it's more like The Transit App or Mail.app. Neither entity is trying to act like they invented transit or mailing. It's just a way of keeping it simple. IMO it's significantly more pompous to shit all over something because of the name.
pkamb 14y ago
> Read this, plus more, in The Magazine’s app for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®. Start your free, 1-week trial. http://i.imgur.com/bINgC.png http://i.imgur.com/bINgC.png What's with the "®"s? Seems like something Marco would complain about on B&A. (Also, that entire button should be clickable.)
- kmfrk 14y ago
  It looks like boilerplate or c/p'd text. Note that "touch" is not capitalized either. This is too sloppy for Marco - or a serious indictment of the editorial standard we can expect.
  - haxorize 14y ago
    Apple doesn't capitalize the T in iPod touch. http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/ http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/
    - D3 14y ago
      But they do capitalize on the bills in people's pockets.
    - pkamb 14y ago
      That doesn't necessarily mean tech writers shouldn't though.
      - _djo_ 14y ago
        Of course it does. What justification would they have for using a different name capitalisation for the product?
        smackfu 14y ago
        It's fairly common. For instance, the NY Times style is to use "iPod Touch", "iPod Nano", and "Mac Mini" despite Apple's desires. The justification is that a proper noun in all lowercase can lead to unclear or ambiguous sentences.
superos 14y ago
Why didn't he call his new magazine "The Echo Chamber"?
- andos 14y ago
  That’s accurate. Articles are peppered with first person pronouns. Minimalist on presentation AND content, sadly.
guelo 14y ago
Obviously Marco's business plan will be to build up anticipation and demand on other platforms and announce them over time. But I don't see how that will work if the content stays invisible. He will probably need to periodically release sample articles on the web to generate buzz, notice he already did this for the Foreword article.
- shinratdr 14y ago
  400 million iOS devices counts as "invisible" to you? I don't think you're really his target audience.
pinder 14y ago
I'm assuming most people on this thread have the Newsstand app buried on the last page and have explored how to remove it completely.
jfb 14y ago
This could be great. Most digital magazines are terrible; while this won't solve the biggest problem (the magazine itself is a superior technology for reading), it could go a long ways towards a better reading experience. NEW YORKER I'M LOOKING AT YOU.
mirtes 14y ago
All the articles are available on-line at http://the-magazine.org/1 http://the-magazine.org/1 which is useful for sharing and reading on other devices. I wonder how much evil it would be to create an RSS feed for it.
dmorgan 14y ago
>Introducing The Magazine: a modern iOS Newsstand publication for geeks like us that’s loosely about technology, but also gives tech writers a venue to explore other topics that like-minded geeks might find interesting. So, also boring stuff about brewing coffee and typefaces?
bconway 14y ago
I would be interested in a paid RSS option.
dr_ 14y ago
Hopefully he can succeed where The Daily has failed.
Chico75 14y ago
We want a kindle version !
kevinflo 14y ago
Am I completely crazy or is there no way to cancel a subscription? I subscribed, but only to give it a shot during the 7 day trial. Currently it is set to auto-renew and charge me $1.99 after 7 days. edit: Found out how to do it http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4098 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4098 What a RIDICULOUS process. I shouldn't have to google to find out how to do it in the first place.
- Steko 14y ago
  Apple sends me an email periodically with a link to manage my Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions before they renew and charge me. I haven't paid for anything on Newstand but I imagine it might work similarly.
masto 14y ago
I figured I'd try it out, but lost my enthusiasm after unsuccessfully attempting to search for the app for five minutes. Next time pick a distinctive name.
arjn 14y ago
if its for IOS only then I cant access it. Also, I question the "geeks like us" part. Why not just publish it as a downloadable PDF or EPUB or something along those lines ?
- shinratdr 14y ago
  > Also, I question the "geeks like us" part. If you question it, then you aren't who he is talking to. For the record, it's not like he's claiming ownership of the word geek and assigning it a strict definition that involves owning an iOS device. He's saying it's designed for geeks like "us". A cross section of both "like Marco", and a geek. Not exactly something to question. > Why not just publish it as a downloadable PDF or EPUB or something along those lines ? Because charging for it becomes much harder, it requires users to do more work, and it bypasses the hundreds of millions of iTunes accounts with credit cards already attached, something that has already been demonstrated to shoot up subscription rates.
CrankyPants 14y ago
I'll be downvoted for saying it, but this may be where the bloom comes off Marco's rose. And, this comment's relevant to the HN crowd: most (if not all) successful entrepreneurs owe something to outside factors, but can develop a sort of "survivorship bias," whereby they feel like they're unduly sierra hotel. Marco made a great app in Instapaper. Is his business and tech sector acumen as good as Instapaper? We'll see.
chj 14y ago
I don't see why this could not be released as a web app: 1. Access from any device; 2. Charging via PayPal isn't worse if not better than the App Store.
protomyth 14y ago
Is the content good?
ghshephard 14y ago
First - this is easily, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one the best online Magazine App for the iPad. It's ironic how Time, New Yorker, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic - all offer such horrible experiences that I've deleted them from my iPad. Only NYT and "The Economist" aren't totally crappy (Though neither of them download in that background on my iOS 6 iPad 3... Grrr - But I bet Marco's App supports background downloading.) Second - The article on Volatiles and Stables was worth an entire years subscription by itself. Marco made it easy for us to copy/paste the text - didn't trap the content like all those crappy magazine systems normally do. I've been madly copying that article and forwarding it to everyone in the company, with a prominent link to "The Magazine". I'm guessing that He'll get at least 10 direct new subscriptions through me alone. WHo knows how many indirect subscriptions...
napierzaza 14y ago
So if it's an app. Can I still Instapaper it?
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njharman 14y ago
> a modern iOS Newsstand publication for geeks like us that’s loosely about technology, but also gives tech writers a venue to explore other topics that like-minded geeks might find interesting. Maybe there's a market for magazine type media. It seems so backwards and nostalgic. Print imposed restrictions on size, format, timelyness, access, single voice (no comments), among others. The description of "The Magazine" sounds like what HN or Reddit already is. Also something so pretentious to call itself "The Magazine" is gonna be filled with poseur hacks. Wired already fills that role.
- LaGrange 14y ago
  Print restrictions? Let's talk about side-by-side articles, bundling commentary essays with the main feature, boxed info and the whole shebang of stuff that just doesn't seem to work on the internet (and I sorta doubt it will work on tablets, but I'll give it a try). It's stuff that's basically possible thanks to two things: the magazine and broadsheet formats, and extensive editing. Just because Internet is modern doesn't mean it doesn't come with restrictions of it's own. Even automated syndication things like Flipboard managed to emulate the look of a magazine, but not the feature that is editing and selection of content by someone competent, but who you only sort-of agree with.
abacus 14y ago
The content is basically long-form hacker news, only made worse because now it's 'curated' with whatever lofty theoretical mission 'The Magazine' espouses. Nice looking app but those four articles bored me to the point of canceling my 7 day trial.
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quinndupont 14y ago
Is there any chance the writing will be any good, compared to the long-standing, excellent journalism that already exists? I'll keep getting my quality journalism from New Yorker, The Nation, The Guardian, etc.

317 points by rkudeshi 14y ago

D3 14y ago

Could not make sense of this at all. It claimed that geeks use iOS or Apple-anything, which is patently untrue. The denomination they're looking for is 'hipster'.

RexRollman 14y ago

Periodicals as applications is a silly idea, IMHO. I can't bring myself to support this, even though I am a happy Instapaper user.

k-mcgrady 14y ago
Why is it a silly idea? Could you explain further?
- RexRollman 14y ago
  In my opinion, this is like creating a magazine that can only be read while sitting in an Eames chair.
  - artursapek 14y ago
    What an awesome line.
  - Steko 14y ago
    You mean like a radio show that is only on a special satellite radio?

stephengillie 14y ago

It publishes four articles every two weeks for $1.99 per month with a 7-day free trial. If I get a 7-day trial, how do I know that those 7 days will coincide with the 14 day article release cycle? This doesn't line up, as though it were designed to be confusing. That sentence is worded strangely - talking about a future project you're organizing as though it's an object of someone else's which already exists. It sounds impersonal and odd. How about: "The Magazine will publish eight articles per month at a price of $1.99, and we offer a one week free trial."

guan 14y ago
According to the App Store description, you get access to all back issues with the 7-day free trial.
- smackfu 14y ago
  So the optimal behavior is to wait a few months to use your free trial.
  - hullo 14y ago
    I guess it all depends on the person, but optimizing the optimal application of two one dollar bills is unlikely ever to be an optimal optimization of most of the target demographic's time, whether they realize it or not.
    - smackfu 14y ago
      If I try it now, I get to see four articles for free. If I try it in two months (if it's still around), I get 16 articles for free. That seems like a much better sample of the content -- especially since if I was the publisher I would use my best articles for the launch and they might not be typical.
      - shinratdr 14y ago
        Sure, but you're withholding support to save two dollars. Most people's time is more valuable than that.
    - stephengillie 14y ago
      Indeed the full rate is close to a couple of ad-supported-magazine subscriptions, or less than 1 hour of pay for most of HN. My point was more about the confused wording of the value proposition than the value itself. Confused people spend money less than confident people.
      - 14y ago

JCB_K 14y ago

On the one hand I'm very excited by this; I see Marco as an interesting writer/speaker, when it comes to iOS development or when he geeks out about whatever gear he's recently bought. I also expect him to be a great editor, so I'd gladly pay money for a magazine put together by him. But on the other hand...I'm really wondering why this needs to be an iOS app. Written content is perfect for publishing on the web, I really don't think you'll be running into any speed issues when you release this as a web magazine. And even if you would, why not make the content available both native and on the web? I'm aware that Marco is an iOS developer, and that a lot of his readers (myself included) will have iOS devices, but for the sake of the open web I'm still slightly disappointed.

asolove 14y ago
Because charging for content on the web doesn't work. While I love the web and wait for a day when we can do micropayments or deep-linking with paywalls or something, the biggest advance someone could make today is to demonstrate a digital-only business model.
- jpdoctor 14y ago
  > Because charging for content on the web doesn't work. Yes it does, but the competition is extreme and not very many people are good at making it an honest-to-god business with profit. If you are good at it, you make money hand-over-fist at the moment.
  - fooandbarify 14y ago
    Are you talking about information products or paywalls or something else entirely?
    - peto123 14y ago
      I believe he is talking about the web's equivalent of newspaper or magazine. Like whole magazine published as a website, where users would pay for each "issue" or monthly access. This model doesn't work, with maybe a few very rare exceptions.

Goronmon 14y ago

Hopefully platform exclusive stuff like this doesn't become popular.

dasil003 14y ago
Become popular? It's the state of nature of computing. Cross-platform is only a recent phenomenon.
- Goronmon 14y ago
  I don't remember it ever being common to have to buy hardware from a specific vendor in order to read the news, a magazine or a book.
  - hrabago 14y ago
    It's common for sources of entertainment and/or information to be platform-specific.
    - ruswick 14y ago
      I don't think this is true (game consoles notwithstanding). Throughout history, there have been but a few mediums in use at a single time. Most of the time, all these platforms were supported. (Now, it's any number of content distributers on the web, DVD/CD and Blu Ray. 10 years ago, it was DVD and VHS.) The notion of products bound to a specific platform or medium rose primarily with the popularization of consumer computing, and software likely remains the most platform-specific content available.
      - dasil003 14y ago
        So you owned a PC and not a Mac in the late 80s/90s then?
simonh 14y ago
Hopefully other platforms will develop ecosystems and service platforms attractive to stuff like this.

incision 14y ago

Sounds good, I'd love to give it a try, but it appears to be tied to iOS. Confining what appears be minimalist text content to an app on a single platform seems a bit silly.

rlt3 14y ago
From what I understand, it uses Newsstand. I don't use Android (so, please, correct me if I'm wrong), but I don't think Android has a single, unified Newsstand-like app to handle subscriptions and that kind of thing.
- Goronmon 14y ago
  Google Play Magazines https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.magazines https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...
  - rlt3 14y ago
    Well, there you go. (I googled 'android newsstand alternative' to no avail). Yea, I guess it is weird that this doesn't exist on Android.
  - andybak 14y ago
    Unfortunately US only at the moment. Not sure what I find more irritating. US only or iOS only. Both really. It's all one big step backwards.
    - moheeb 14y ago
      I find the people that complain about 'US only' to be the most irritating. Either move to the US already or code up your own.
      - peto123 14y ago
        Cool idea. I will move to US so I can read The Magazine. ;-)

joeguilmette 14y ago

I would be all over this if there was a Kindle option. I don't like reading on LCD screens, especially when I have a gadget that is 100% dedicated to reading.

reaganing 14y ago
That would be very nice. I primarily read Instapaper (Marco's more well-known creation) on my Kindle rather than my tablets or phone.
jdechko 14y ago
For all of the integration between Instapaper and Kindle, I think that it's a possibility.
smackfu 14y ago
Yeah, it's odd considering Marco already produces very nice Kindle articles out of Instapaper, so he's familiar with the format. And Kindle supports subscriptions.
nicholassmith 14y ago
In The Magazine FAQ Marco says he's looking at the options for Kindle. I'd be surprised if there's not a plan towards having it given Marco seems to be a very big fan of the e-ink Kindles.

andyjohnson0 14y ago

This looks like material that I'd really like to read. Unfortunately I have no way to access it, since I don't own an iOS device. I wonder why Marco wants to limit his readership to relatively small intersection between iOS 6 device owners and people who are interested in the subject matter. Isn't this rather restricting for him? (edit: iOS 6)

alexpenny 14y ago
What if he did have a big launch, with an app for android and a web version? What if it was a big failure and he lost more money than he made? Would that have made sense? This is a new product that he is testing the waters with. He chose the quickest and most effective way of doing this.
rsynnott 14y ago
iOS is probably the easiest platform on which to do a subscription publication and reach a large audience. People are often unwilling to pay for subscription content on the web because they have to fill in a credit card form, and there can be problems with cancelling, and Android's subscription magazine thingy is US-only.

aresant 14y ago

Next months cover story "Defending my choice of iOS to launch this magazine" I am amused that by appealing to the tech audience Marco set his release up to be nitpicked not for content or concept but by platform choice. Fitting but almost too meta.

georgemcbay 14y ago
I think at least part of the reaction to his platform choice is the way he is branding and positioning it. Calling it simply "The Magazine" for "geeks like us" is bound to ruffle some feathers, because there are a lot of geeks out there (disclaimer: I am certainly one of them) who think that Apple, despite their admittedly unmatched ability to create delightful hardware designs, is the primary negative actor out there when it comes to limiting what "geeks like us" are allowed to do with our hardware. And to be clear, I'm not some card-carrying member of the FSF or anything, I think Stallman is far too extremist, but I agree with him as far as Apple's negative influence on computing freedom is concerned. Had this been initially positioned with the iOS slant it will surely have given the backer and the exclusive platform it will exist for, I doubt you'd be seeing nearly as much grumbling about it.
- smackfu 14y ago
  This is the same Marco who doesn't know anyone who uses a PC to develop. "Geeks like us" means a much different thing to him than to a lot of people.
  - doe88 14y ago
    It is also the same guy able to speak about his server design decisions and for instance about his new SNB Xeons. So I guess even if he doesn't use PC he remotely connects to non-OSX systems. Moreover, I'm not living in the bay area or new york but even where I am, I see less and less PC around me. Myself, I personally use a PC but it runs OS X.
- nsmartt 14y ago
  >I think Stallman is far too extremist The more I see of Apple, Microsoft, and others, the less I think so. I certainly don't see eye-to-eye with him on everything, but it's becoming clear to me that we need alternatives that fit his criteria. Cell phone and tablet operating systems that are completely open, easy to modify (and easy to distribute modifications), and easy to use from a consumer point of view would change my world. I'd use it in a heartbeat, and I dearly hope this is what Firefox OS will be. I'd like to see a world that's more accommodating for Stallman. I'd also like to see a world that's less accommodating for Facebook et al.

techpeace 14y ago

I can't seem to get the "start your free trial" link to function from the "Introduction" article.

k-mcgrady 14y ago
That just launched the in-app purchase alert for me. Then when I paid I swiped right to access the menu. It could be that you have in-app purchase disabled on your device.

crazygringo 14y ago

I was very excited about this, so I tried installing it on my iPhone 4S, with iOS5, and it says: This app requires iOS 6. Really?! Already?? :( I didn't upgrade because I want to keep my maps app. I hope Marco changes it to be iOS 5-compatible, since I know a lot of people who aren't upgrading to iOS 6 until it has decent maps.

dasil003 14y ago
He talked about this over multiple episodes on Build & Analyze. You would be shocked at the iOS 6 adoption numbers.
- gyardley 14y ago
  Apparently I'm the only guy still using a first-generation iPad. Oh well.
  - dasil003 14y ago
    I have one too actually, but I don't care because I'm not into paid ipad magazines.
    - tstegart 14y ago
      Are you into free ones? shameless plug
      - famousactress 14y ago
        Worked. Downloading... Nicely done!
        tstegart 14y ago
        Sweeeeet! I hope you enjoy it. The article on Rwanda in the first issue just won an award, so be sure to check that out.

zach 14y ago

For those of you wondering why The Magazine is on iOS (first) and not a website, the answer is simple. Marco is just replicating the successful Instapaper business model: http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-Readability-and-Instapaper-business-models-How-do-they-differ/answer/Marco-Arment http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-Readability-and-Instapaper...

smackfu 14y ago
You mean, "I sell an app for money, then I spend less than I make." This seems like a quite different business model than what's he's trying here, with a free app but paid subscriptions and paying authors and such. The Instapaper model is much simpler... but it's clear Marco doesn't really like it much any more, since you only make money by selling the app once but it costs you to support those users forever. So "spend less than I make" eventually gets very difficult if sales trail off.
- zach 14y ago
  This is totally the same as Instapaper but instead of an app, it's magazine issues. All paid-subscriptions magazines still appear as free apps on iOS, but they either offer a free sample or a free trial. In this case, it's a free trial, which makes sense when it's the first issue! But don't be surprised if The Magazine switches to a free sample. That's especially worth noting if you're expecting to optimize for a free trial. My point is that Marco doesn't have any expertise selling advertising, as many would like him to do, and does have a lot of experience selling through the App Store. He's just keeping the business model as constant as possible.
ryanwatkins 14y ago
Doing it as an iOS app like this also prevents you from doing "Share to Pocket / Readability" like you would be able to with a website -- keeps you from scraping the content out of the publishers site.
- duck 14y ago
  Ironic, eh?

msrpotus 14y ago

Sounds like Hacker News but on iOS and curated by Marco. While I'm sure he's a great guy, I get something pretty similar for free, right here.

antirez 14y ago
Hacker Monthly (that publishes only entries appeared here in HN) now has an iPad app as well, I know it because it was developed by the company of my close friends where I'm an advisor and shareholder. They also provide an Android version for the same publishing platform.
nicholassmith 14y ago
You get something similar but completely different. Content is the king on this one, and if people are writing exclusive articles then you're either not going to see them for a month or at all.

tstegart 14y ago

Try searching for "The Magazine" in the App Store. Shows you how well Apple's search algorithms work. App Store SEO is a black box, and I'm not even sure how Marco would improve his ranking with a name like "The Magazine." *Note - iPad 1 can see the app in the App Store, but can't use it as it requires iOS 6.

danbee 14y ago
It is a bit ambiguous, but I found it by searching for "the magazine geeks".
- tstegart 14y ago
  I guess we'll find out how far Apple is behind Google when it comes to search. I couldn't find the ranking for "The Magazine" because it was too far back. But presumably as it becomes more popular, it should move up in the rankings. For example, when people search on Google, the pages that get clicked on move up in the rankings, until the most useful page it at the top. Hopefully, as people search for "The Magazine" and then download it it will move up in the rankings. But if it doesn't, it shows you how far behind Apple is. I think Google has done this for almost a decade.
chipotle_coyote 14y ago
I only partially agree. My suspicion is that the search algorithm -- like many text search algorithms -- drops articles, leaving only "magazine" as the search term, and then suddenly your algorithm is hosed. I think Apple should prioritize a title which, when you drop its articles, is an exact match for the search term, but I've seen other people argue that Apple needs to take into account popularity and star ratings in the result order, which they probably do. And at this point "The Magazine" isn't going to be nearly as popular as other things with "magazine" in the title. While I appreciate the Zen nature of The Magazine as a title, for search algorithms it may be the equivalent of naming your company "There" (a place I worked at briefly): it's very clever, but it's damn hard to search for.
- tstegart 14y ago

tlrobinson 14y ago

I can't see to get the App Store URL to work.

brackin 14y ago

I believe that content should be written for a platform. Which is why putting magazines on newsstand by putting images in an application hasn't sold well. This content targets the iOS using audience and is written for the format. The tools iOS provide will at least allow them to test if selling an iOS only publication works.

Osmium 14y ago

I've just been looking through the most popular Newsstand apps, and it suddenly occurred to me what's wrong with it: all the thumbnails are of print magazine covers, and they're all too small to read! If that doesn't scream "doing it wrong" I don't know what does. The cover's meant to advertise the issue and make me want to buy it and I can't even read it. Why does Newsstand not have a "In this issue" tab when you preview the app? Why do I have to buy the whole issue instead of just an article? Why can't I have a central list of articles, that I can search, and favourite and share? The Newsstand API isn't aggressive enough. It needs to bring these publications into the future before we lose them. Traditional print publications, which are producing quality journalism, need to adapt to new technology and release something like what Marco's doing here instead of trying to cram their paper format into an app with all the cruft that that entails.

shinratdr 14y ago
> Why does Newsstand not have a "In this issue" tab when you preview the app? You can download the app and preview the magazine. > Why do I have to buy the whole issue instead of just an article? Because nobody sells content like this, it's not just limited to magazines. > Why can't I have a central list of articles, that I can search, and favourite and share? Because magazine companies are trapped in the past.

inmygarage 14y ago

Protip: If you're searching in the app store, don't type "The Magazine", it won't come up. Instead use "The Magazine Marco" if you want to download.

kefs 14y ago
Protip: If you're coming up with a name for your new app, don't choose such a ubiquitous name as "The Magazine". An effective SEO strategy, mobile or web, will be a nightmare to develop/implement.
- mlchild 14y ago
  Counterpoint: maybe just name it what you think is the best name and assume you'll be able to figure out the rest.
- sequoia 14y ago
  Heh... my primary objection to the name "the magazine" is how unbelievably pompous it is. It implies that the magazine is a new concept that he created. Perhaps he can get a software patent on this new- what do you call it "mak-ah-seen" thing. :)
  - shinratdr 14y ago
    > It implies that the magazine is a new concept that he created. Not really, it's more like The Transit App or Mail.app. Neither entity is trying to act like they invented transit or mailing. It's just a way of keeping it simple. IMO it's significantly more pompous to shit all over something because of the name.

pkamb 14y ago

> Read this, plus more, in The Magazine’s app for iPad®, iPhone®, and iPod touch®. Start your free, 1-week trial. http://i.imgur.com/bINgC.png http://i.imgur.com/bINgC.png What's with the "®"s? Seems like something Marco would complain about on B&A. (Also, that entire button should be clickable.)

kmfrk 14y ago
It looks like boilerplate or c/p'd text. Note that "touch" is not capitalized either. This is too sloppy for Marco - or a serious indictment of the editorial standard we can expect.
- haxorize 14y ago
  Apple doesn't capitalize the T in iPod touch. http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/ http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/
  - D3 14y ago
    But they do capitalize on the bills in people's pockets.
  - pkamb 14y ago
    That doesn't necessarily mean tech writers shouldn't though.
    - _djo_ 14y ago
      Of course it does. What justification would they have for using a different name capitalisation for the product?
      - smackfu 14y ago
        It's fairly common. For instance, the NY Times style is to use "iPod Touch", "iPod Nano", and "Mac Mini" despite Apple's desires. The justification is that a proper noun in all lowercase can lead to unclear or ambiguous sentences.

superos 14y ago

Why didn't he call his new magazine "The Echo Chamber"?

andos 14y ago
That’s accurate. Articles are peppered with first person pronouns. Minimalist on presentation AND content, sadly.

guelo 14y ago

Obviously Marco's business plan will be to build up anticipation and demand on other platforms and announce them over time. But I don't see how that will work if the content stays invisible. He will probably need to periodically release sample articles on the web to generate buzz, notice he already did this for the Foreword article.

shinratdr 14y ago
400 million iOS devices counts as "invisible" to you? I don't think you're really his target audience.

pinder 14y ago

I'm assuming most people on this thread have the Newsstand app buried on the last page and have explored how to remove it completely.

jfb 14y ago

This could be great. Most digital magazines are terrible; while this won't solve the biggest problem (the magazine itself is a superior technology for reading), it could go a long ways towards a better reading experience. NEW YORKER I'M LOOKING AT YOU.

mirtes 14y ago

All the articles are available on-line at http://the-magazine.org/1 http://the-magazine.org/1 which is useful for sharing and reading on other devices. I wonder how much evil it would be to create an RSS feed for it.

dmorgan 14y ago

>Introducing The Magazine: a modern iOS Newsstand publication for geeks like us that’s loosely about technology, but also gives tech writers a venue to explore other topics that like-minded geeks might find interesting. So, also boring stuff about brewing coffee and typefaces?

bconway 14y ago

I would be interested in a paid RSS option.

dr_ 14y ago

Hopefully he can succeed where The Daily has failed.

Chico75 14y ago

We want a kindle version !

kevinflo 14y ago

Am I completely crazy or is there no way to cancel a subscription? I subscribed, but only to give it a shot during the 7 day trial. Currently it is set to auto-renew and charge me $1.99 after 7 days. edit: Found out how to do it http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4098 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4098 What a RIDICULOUS process. I shouldn't have to google to find out how to do it in the first place.

Steko 14y ago
Apple sends me an email periodically with a link to manage my Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions before they renew and charge me. I haven't paid for anything on Newstand but I imagine it might work similarly.

masto 14y ago

I figured I'd try it out, but lost my enthusiasm after unsuccessfully attempting to search for the app for five minutes. Next time pick a distinctive name.

arjn 14y ago

if its for IOS only then I cant access it. Also, I question the "geeks like us" part. Why not just publish it as a downloadable PDF or EPUB or something along those lines ?

shinratdr 14y ago
> Also, I question the "geeks like us" part. If you question it, then you aren't who he is talking to. For the record, it's not like he's claiming ownership of the word geek and assigning it a strict definition that involves owning an iOS device. He's saying it's designed for geeks like "us". A cross section of both "like Marco", and a geek. Not exactly something to question. > Why not just publish it as a downloadable PDF or EPUB or something along those lines ? Because charging for it becomes much harder, it requires users to do more work, and it bypasses the hundreds of millions of iTunes accounts with credit cards already attached, something that has already been demonstrated to shoot up subscription rates.

CrankyPants 14y ago

I'll be downvoted for saying it, but this may be where the bloom comes off Marco's rose. And, this comment's relevant to the HN crowd: most (if not all) successful entrepreneurs owe something to outside factors, but can develop a sort of "survivorship bias," whereby they feel like they're unduly sierra hotel. Marco made a great app in Instapaper. Is his business and tech sector acumen as good as Instapaper? We'll see.

chj 14y ago

I don't see why this could not be released as a web app: 1. Access from any device; 2. Charging via PayPal isn't worse if not better than the App Store.

protomyth 14y ago

Is the content good?

ghshephard 14y ago

First - this is easily, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one the best online Magazine App for the iPad. It's ironic how Time, New Yorker, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic - all offer such horrible experiences that I've deleted them from my iPad. Only NYT and "The Economist" aren't totally crappy (Though neither of them download in that background on my iOS 6 iPad 3... Grrr - But I bet Marco's App supports background downloading.) Second - The article on Volatiles and Stables was worth an entire years subscription by itself. Marco made it easy for us to copy/paste the text - didn't trap the content like all those crappy magazine systems normally do. I've been madly copying that article and forwarding it to everyone in the company, with a prominent link to "The Magazine". I'm guessing that He'll get at least 10 direct new subscriptions through me alone. WHo knows how many indirect subscriptions...

napierzaza 14y ago

So if it's an app. Can I still Instapaper it?

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njharman 14y ago

> a modern iOS Newsstand publication for geeks like us that’s loosely about technology, but also gives tech writers a venue to explore other topics that like-minded geeks might find interesting. Maybe there's a market for magazine type media. It seems so backwards and nostalgic. Print imposed restrictions on size, format, timelyness, access, single voice (no comments), among others. The description of "The Magazine" sounds like what HN or Reddit already is. Also something so pretentious to call itself "The Magazine" is gonna be filled with poseur hacks. Wired already fills that role.

LaGrange 14y ago
Print restrictions? Let's talk about side-by-side articles, bundling commentary essays with the main feature, boxed info and the whole shebang of stuff that just doesn't seem to work on the internet (and I sorta doubt it will work on tablets, but I'll give it a try). It's stuff that's basically possible thanks to two things: the magazine and broadsheet formats, and extensive editing. Just because Internet is modern doesn't mean it doesn't come with restrictions of it's own. Even automated syndication things like Flipboard managed to emulate the look of a magazine, but not the feature that is editing and selection of content by someone competent, but who you only sort-of agree with.

abacus 14y ago

The content is basically long-form hacker news, only made worse because now it's 'curated' with whatever lofty theoretical mission 'The Magazine' espouses. Nice looking app but those four articles bored me to the point of canceling my 7 day trial.

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quinndupont 14y ago

Is there any chance the writing will be any good, compared to the long-standing, excellent journalism that already exists? I'll keep getting my quality journalism from New Yorker, The Nation, The Guardian, etc.