NY Times Announces Digital Subscription Plan

[kjk]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/bu...imes.html?_r=1

First 20 articles are free, then...

Once readers click on their 21st article, they will have the option of buying one of three digital news packages — $15 for a month of access to the Web site and a mobile phone app; $20 for Web access and an iPad app; and $35 for an all-access plan.

All subscribers who receive the paper through home delivery will have free and unlimited access across all Times digital platforms except, for now, e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook.

[Kali Yuga]

Argh, too spendy for me.

Looks like the Kindle-only subscription is $20 -- I wonder if that will change any time soon, or bundle it with the Web access.

[RockdaMan]

If there is anything I'll pay for it's that site. I spend a lot of time reading it and I have even more saved up in my Instapaper locker.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Argh, too spendy for me.

Looks like the Kindle-only subscription is $20 -- I wonder if that will change any time soon, or bundle it with the Web access.

Almost makes me wish I'd kept my paper subscription up. Almost.

If you are a home delivery subscriber of The New York Times, you will continue to have full and free access to our news, information, opinion and the rest of our rich offerings on your computer, smartphone and tablet.

I'm sure it varies by region, but here it's $14.80/week for the real paper.

I like how Twitter links don't count towards your 20 articles-how soon before someone creates a Twitter account that posts every article daily?

[tubemonkey]

So they're doing a Pandora. That will definitely limit how much time I spend there, as I have no intention of paying for news content of any kind.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

So they're doing a Pandora. That will definitely limit how much time I spend there, as I have no intention of paying for news content of any kind.

So no actual newspapers or news magazines either? Cable news? CNN? Fox?

(We actually don't have any physical newspaper or magazine subs, and don't currently have cable either. Which is a point of some contention with other members of the family )

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by kjk

So no actual newspapers or news magazines either? Cable news? CNN? Fox?

(We actually don't have any physical newspaper or magazine subs, and don't currently have cable either. Which is a point of some contention with other members of the family )

I do Google News. No TV news, newspapers, magazines, etc. Since I have cable TV & internet, technically I'm paying for it. What I meant was paying for content outside of my cable/internet bill.

[SlowRain]

So, if I understand this correctly, if I use my computer at home and the computer at work, I can look at 40 articles a month for free? I really only use the Books section in the NYT anyway.

[snipenekkid]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Argh, too spendy for me.

Looks like the Kindle-only subscription is $20 -- I wonder if that will change any time soon, or bundle it with the Web access.

I think it's still cheaper than my print subscription. But for web readers it's a pretty steep price. Yet another reason to grab a full on Slate PC device such as the Eee 121 and using the NYT Windows reader app. Or is that one also tied to my print subscription. I honestly do not remember I set it up so long ago.

[snipenekkid]

Originally Posted by kjk

So no actual newspapers or news magazines either? Cable news? CNN? Fox?

(We actually don't have any physical newspaper or magazine subs, and don't currently have cable either. Which is a point of some contention with other members of the family )

Hey a kindred spirit of a sort. I haven't had a cable subscription since about 2000 or so. I've lived with online streaming solutions and Netflix for my video needs, a Roku box, Winamp, and whatever other online options exist and won't put me on the FBI's violent felons list.

I have clung to a print sub to the NYT though and I am on the left coast. But I've archived a lifetime's worth of NYT crossword puzzles so I would be happy to drop that monthly expense as well. I mean it's not like the news is any fun anyway.

[HansTWN]

You can always read the NYT on Pressdisplay for 9.99 a month. You actually have a choice of one paper out of over 1000 each day. I usually choose the International Herald Tribune, the international edition of the NYT.

[dalijon]

What a bummer. Just last night I started using calibre to download NYT to my kindle and was all excited to start reading the paper regularly. When I looked at this mornings front page (on my kindle, of course) I saw that my plans will not last for very long. Just realized that I could ask my father, who has a print subscription, to set up his calibre to fetch the NYT and email to my kindle email -- yeah!!!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by dalijon

What a bummer. Just last night I started using calibre to download NYT to my kindle and was all excited to start reading the paper regularly. When I looked at this mornings front page (on my kindle, of course) I saw that my plans will not last for very long. Just realized that I could ask my father, who has a print subscription, to set up his calibre to fetch the NYT and email to my kindle email -- yeah!!!

Is that permitted under the terms of your father's subscription?

[murraypaul]

And they have agreed to Apple's terms for subscriptions and will put an in-app purchase system in place by June 30th.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/2011...hrough-itunes/

[snipenekkid]

The thing I still find confusing is I don't need to pay extra for my subscription using the Windows NYT desktop reader BUT if I wanted to view it on the iPad I have to basically pay for the whole subscription again using what equates to the same reader app as I have free and as part of my existing subscription.

Basically this issue now illustrates the added cost to the consumer for Apple's rather extreme position on subscription, from accessing this already paid for content. I suppose a browser is an option but even that might or might not be kosher.

For me a major real short coming of Apple's model is that it precludes any existing subscribers, for anything, who either have existing subscriptions or purchased their subscription outside the iOS device. But for me it's another reason not to re-consider an iPad. I don't think many people will see added value in paying twice for the same subscription. So, I hope something breaks loose here. Of course the NYT doesn't care because it just means more cash for them even if it's only a small subset of existing subscribers who are willing to pay for the 2nd subscription.

hehehe, I wonder if the NYT will do an article in their Tech Section about the newly enforced subscription fee model potentially requiring people to pay twice, or more, for the same content.