There are many reasons why the traditional print media and printing industry are finding themselves increasingly threated by tablet devices.
The trail blazing marketing penetration of tablets has radically changed the landscape of information consumption. Users are no longer confined to many of the limitations that illustrate the disbursement of information from traditional sources. The allegiance that users had for traditional sources of information is showing signs of wear and tear. A case in point being the effect, the use of tablets has had on the print media and the printing industry. To state that they are being threatened by the popularity of the iPad is an understatement. The truth is that their market share is very slowly, but surely being eaten by sophisticated devices like the tablet.
Let’s take a look at why tablet users are ignoring the print media such as newspapers and magazines; and why the printing industry is increasingly finding itself made redundant.
Tablet devices like the iPad make accessing and reading print material highly engaging and extremely interactive. They make reading a newspaper or magazine more fun. They actually make the process of information consumption, more like a dialogue between the source and the reader. These devices have ensured that reading news stories or articles is no longer a one dimensional exercise.
- Cost effectively offer endless choices
If you are reading newspapers or magazines, you have a limited choice, not because there are a limited number of options available, but because there is just a limited amount of them that you can buy or rent at a given time. You are limited by your budget mostly, but there are many other limitations as well. But, there are no such limitations on the tablet. Download any amount of news’ or magazines’ applications and don’t spend a packet along the way. Some of the best apps are free, or are affordably priced. You are not burdened by their price at all. If at all, you will be limited by the device’s storage space. But, that can be easily remedied.
In or fast paced lives, we usually get the time to read newspapers or magazines only while we are commuting, say on a tram, bus or the subway. But this becomes a test of patience and balance and the ability to keep the paper or magazine steady. Newspapers and magazines don’t make convenient reading while you are cramped for space and when your hands are shaking continuously because of the movement of your transport. These are just some of the many nuisances that you need to contend with while reading. But, tablets make for highly convenient reading when you are on the move. Their size and easy to use functionality means you can optimize your news consumption wherever you are and whatever your constraints.
- Sharing on the Social Media
Today, the social media is everything. It helps people stay connected to each other in the absence of time and a general disinclination to form social connections by meeting on a face-to-face level. This is why tablets are considered such a step up over the newspapers and magazines and other publications. The latter don’t allow you to share news on social media, content read using tablet devices can immediately be shared with friends and followers on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This is of course provided that the tablet app allows you to do so. But, most tablet apps have implemented this basic functionality.
People will debate the merits and demerits of the green advantage that the tablet has over the traditional print industry as a whole in terms of all the paper that it helps save. But, the fact of the matter is that there is a large section of tablet users out there who believe that the fact that they are consuming news through their tablet devices is helping the environment. This is of course a logical consequence of the fact that the less the amount of newspapers and magazines read, the less the amount they will be published, which will reduce the number of trees cut because the consumption of paper will be reduced.
- Fulfills the information dissemination needs of Businesses
One of the reasons why the printing industry was never affected by downturns in the economy was that businesses constantly need printed material for some purpose or another. Irrespective of their size, whatever their profitability, they need printed material. But, tablets are making this need redundant. Business are getting iPad apps developed that can help them advertise their products and services, act as their digital company brochures, become an interactive and visual striking digital brochures or perform some other important business functions. If you notice, all these functions were performed by traditional paper publications provided by the print industry.
The list can go on and on and as tablet technology keeps improving, the print media and industry will start feeling more threatened. But, this doesn’t mean that they will have to shut shop any time soon. The popularity of the iPad is just a portent of things to come.
PLAVEB, with its hands on the pulse of all that is happening in the world of web and mobile technology, has figured out in which direction the wind is blowing. Our astute team of tablet app developers keeps pace with the ever changing and continuously growing needs of tablet users and brings forth apps that come good on all end user expectations. We have the proven experience and expertise in conceptualizing and developing apps cutting across diverse categories and mobile operating systems.