Magazines further experiment with print editions' digital format

ONLINE MEDIA

Reading a magazine through the Web can be a frustrating experience.
The Web site doesn't follow the magazine's physical layout. Not every
story published in the print edition is on the Web, and digging out
earlier articles can be hit or miss. That is beginning to change, as
an increasing number of magazine publishers test "digital editions" --
electronic versions of their publications that replicate every page of
the print edition down to the table of contents and the ads. Available
for download on the Web or through email links, usually only to paying
subscribers, these new editions could change attitudes of both
consumers and advertisers about magazines. No longer will readers have
to wait for their physical copy to arrive in the mail: instead they
can download and print the digital version. For those who want to read
electronically, pages can be turned with the click of a mouse. The
editions give advertisers more options -- old-school magazine ads or
interactive pages that can include video or other moveable features.
For publishers, digital editions can save on printing and postal
costs. Source: Brian Steinberg, The Wall Street Journal