Next Issue Media made waves when it debuted on the iPad last year with its unlimited digital magazine subscription program. Users can pay for various tiers and get access to Wired, Sports Illustrated, the New Yorker, and many more. The company has just launched its new Windows 8 app that should expand its footprint into the tablet and desktop computing market.
One of the most outstanding features behind the new Windows 8 app is the ability to pin your favorite titles to the Start screen for easy access. Users will receive notifications when new issues are available and can take advantage of multi-tasking with snap view. Live tiles with rotating covers of the latest issues will be coming soon.
Next Issue is a joint venture between News Corp, Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, and Time. These publishing giants all wanted a way they could control the subscription process and have flexibility in the way they marketed it to users. The service originally launched in 2009 for Google Android and has since expanded to the iPad and now Windows 8. This spring the company plans on rolling apps out for Android and iOS phones.
One of the main draws behind Next Issue’s digital strategy is that it will allow users to sync and share content across five different devices. This is useful in this day and age where people might have an iPad for their tablet and a Galaxy Note 2 for their phone and use Windows 8 at home. Any magazines you subscribe to will automatically be delivered to your entire fleet of gadgets.
Next Issue for Windows 8 is available free for 30 days, offering a choice of Unlimited Basic or Unlimited Premium plans. The Unlimited Basic plan includes access to all monthly and bi-weekly titles for just $9.99 per month while the Unlimited Premium plan offers access to all 82 titles in the catalog, including the weekly titles, for $14.99 per month.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
