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By Stefan Arnold, January 29, 2010 10:30 am

Apple iPad and newspapers: One of the buzzwords from Apple’s announcement of its iPad tablet computer Wednesday is that it’s a “game-changer” for the newspaper business.

The problem with any one device being hyped as a game-changer is you have to look at the industry first. Are newspapers even ready for a change?

What does the iPad do? It puts the internet in a convenient package. People who don’t have a laptop or smartphone yet now have another choice to access the web on the go at a decent starting price (The iPad starts at $499, $629 with cellular access). And sure, the touchscreen capabilities of the iPad are exciting, but here is what the device adds to the internet …. NOTHING. In fact, the iPad demonstrated Wednesday didn’t have Flash capabilities, reducing options for video, some advertising and other media.

But here’s the key for newspaper Web sites … the iPad is not a game-changer if they don’t have GAME.

Newspaper sites that are good, bad or ugly now will be good, bad or ugly in two months when the iPad is available.

What newspapers need to focus on is making better Web sites, with more content, photos and videos. Before worrying about how their sites will look on the iPad, newspapers need to be happy with how they look now. Then they can use that as a foundation for making content that is user-friendly and interactive with the iPad.

iPad revenue: I doubt the iPad will produce any significant revenue streams for newspapers. Many newspapers already have free or paid apps, and the iPad doesn’t change that. Even if the iPad becomes wildly successful, the revenue from paid apps is usually a minimal one-time fee.

Also, don’t expect PDF or e-edition subscriptions to be popular on the iPad. The viewing area is just too small. The 9.7 inch (diagonal) screen is more suited for regular web addresses than a mockup of today’s paper.

So what CAN the iPad do for newspapers? If the iPad takes off, and people use it as their mobile device of choice, then that will help newspapers because more people will be spending more time on the web. They won’t just use a computer at home or at work. They will use it everywhere. That means newspapers will have more opportunities to get more information about their readers and what they are doing (and where).

More consumers, more time on the web, more profit possibilities. That is what newspapers need to focus on.

Fly on the news

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