The NYT:Times Reader a model for success in online news. But will it last?
November 20, 2007 2:22 PM | Written by Stephen Downs
Yes, that's right, the New York Times Times Reader is a successful presentation of a newspaper in a digital format. First off, it is easy to navigate and search. It uses a browser layout, with a home page that is a realistic cross between tangible newspaper and interactive website. Content features are given priority based on their relevancy and timeliness, they are surrounded by beautiful photography and leading stories populated from the various sections of the site. Atop the Times Reader is a navigation scheme directing users to click through to different sections.
So, what is so different from this and the NYTimes, or the Post, or Google news or etc. etc. etc (insert any news based web service)?
Not much! Except for the fact that you have to pay. That's right. At the cost of $15 a month or $165 a year you too can receive this service.
Sure, you will have the following tools available, which are otherwise not on NYTimes.com:
- Graphic representation of stories you have read in comparison to unread stories.
- Right-clicking the headline to display a list of topics covered in the story.
- Text size is adjustable and scalable.
- The ability to highlight text passages, apply and save your own notes to them.
- Right click to open up the story's web edition.
- You can also download the latest version of the paper to your laptop and read it at your leisure, online or off.
Despite this unique functionality, the Times Reader is still not meeting the mark. The NYTimes.com site continues to offer more content, including videos, audio, commenting features, Web 2.0 and the like. The Times Reader has not yet reached this point. On top of which, in an era where WiFi is becoming more and more prevalent, eReaders of this nature are quickly becoming a thing of the past as users can simply link up to any local wireless network.
So, much like its predecessor, the exclusive, subscription-only content of the paid site TimesSelect, I do not believe the Times Reader will be around much longer. In this era of digital piracy, who in their right mind will pay for a digital version of news? Let alone anything. Particularly when it's simultaneously available for free.
There is no doubt that the mobility of information is the future for interactive media. To this point I commend NYTimes in their efforts. However, the paid version of the Times Reader is in effect a road-block to these ends.
A recent insert promoting the Times Reader caught my attention and as a result I decided to sample the free trial.
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