Chicago is all set to be the next city after Philadelphia where newspaper vendors are looking to dole out tablet PCs to boost readership. There is no word yet whether the tablets would be offered completely free or at a subsidized rate or who will be making the tablets. Initial reports show Samsung as being among the companies that the Chicago based Tribune Company is talking to.
Publishers of the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer had earlier announced they would be offering an Android Tablet at discounted price to those who subscribe to their digital news apps. The Tribune though can be considered to have a wider reach unlike its Philadelphian counterpart since the news paper company has a number of other newspapers and television stations that are spread all across the US. The Tribune Company is considered one of the biggest news enterprises in the US and is the owner of several major newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, and the Los Angeles Times, besides also owning 23 television stations.
However, the project is yet in contemplation stages and its still sometime for the final details to come across. Early indications are that the tablet should run the Android operating system with the newspaper apps getting prominence. The projects is slated for a trial run during August, though inside sources point out meeting the deadline might be impossible. In fact, some are even skeptical of the entire project as well.
“They’re having to reinvent many wheels,” said a person familiar with the matter. “If it turns out to be a failure, it’ll be a fantastically interesting failure.”
However, while the tablet may come cheap or even free, there are speculations as to how the mobile broadband data plan is to be borne.
Newspapers today often publish their content online at no cost. One having a connected tablet would therefore enable you to read the news for no additional charges. Going for a free tablet and then paying for reading the news is just another way of paying for the tablet. The choice is therefore on the consumer.
via cnn
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.