Landscape mode only due to Apple's 'unreasonable' subs model
Time-owned Sports Illustrated has made its latest iPad edition available in landscape mode only, after it decided to cull design and production costs.
This, it said, was due to the fact Apple does not allow publishers to offer iPad magazine subscriptions at 'a reasonable price'.
MediaMemo reports that anyone trying to read the latest SI in portrait mode will see an error message telling them to flip to lanscape instead.
Explaining the move, Time digital boss Josh Quittner essentially said that the company couldn't justify the cost of producing both portrait and landscape versions of SI given that the subs terms currently offered by Apple wouldn't allow it to make its money back.
And the fact that the mag looks better in portrait anyhow.
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The issue of magazine and newspaper subscriptions is the hottest topic in the world of iPad right now, and digital publishing generally.
Fresh rumours today suggest Apple is close to rolling out a digital newsstand offering for the iPad and iPhone.
It would broadly follow the iBooks model and would also support a subscription model, though there are no details on what the terms would be to publishers.
