AP wants to fill up your iPad, but look out for AT&T data fees
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The Associated Press, like many news organizations, is eying Apple’s iPad as a new frontier for sustaining the news business. The American news agency is building a division to sell products directly to readers -- targeting Apple’s yet-to-be-released but hugely-hyped tablet, according to a report by the AP.
Publications like Wired, Sports Illustrated and the AP envision the next-generation news software for tablets to have a heavy focus on multimedia content.
When the iPad debuts in March, every device will be Internet enabled using Wi-Fi, and in April, Apple will begin selling devices with (practically) anywhere Internet through AT&T’s 3G. Subscribers of the latter can pay $14.99 for 250 megabytes per month of data or $29.99 for an unlimited plan. Users can switch to Wi-Fi (including any AT&T hotspot like Starbucks) to avoid hitting their monthly meter.
As news applications push a lot of high-quality photos and, to a greater extent, video content, those 250 megabytes can dwindle quickly. The Times Technology Blog has a story analyzing whether iPad owners will be able to get by on 250 megabytes a month.
-- Mark Milian