The Philadelphia Media Network announced today that in addition to local news it will also peddle “deeply discounted” Android tablet computers pre-loaded with four apps, including digital versions of its two newspapers, The Inquirer and the Daily News, as well as additional content from The Inquirer and the Philly.com website.
Too bad they can’t offer at least one thing anybody actually wants.
“No one in the U.S. has bundled the device with content,” Greg Osberg, Philadelphia Media Network CEO told Adweek. “We want to gain significant market share in this area, and we want to learn about consumer behavior. Our goal is to be the most innovative media company in the United States.”
The difficulties of that plan are soon evident: in the press release touting the initiative, the company mentions how Apple’s iPad has led the charge of consumers to tablets. However, not only can they not offer iPads but they won’t even name the brand they plan to sell.
The no-name tablets on offer “perform similarly to the iPad” using “Google’s Android operating system…which measures about 7 .5 by 10.5 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds, and sell for $300 to $800.” The 2,000 or so offered in the pilot program launching in August are expected to retail for half price.
Readers who buy into the deal also have to accept that the paper will keep all of their consumer data and track their reading habits to improve content.
Anyone in the market for a brick that enables you to read an old-school newspaper?
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco freelance writer who heads up Cult of Mac Magazine, our weekly publication available on iTunes. You can find her on Twitter and Google+. If you’re doing something new, cool and Apple-related, email her.
8 responses to “Newspaper group offers cheap Android tablets to readers”
Um, the weight is 1 1/2 pounds. (One and a half pounds)
I hope to god that this was a major typo and nothing else.
Doesn’t really matter that it’s 1.5 pounds and not 11.5 pounds. It’s still a piece of crap, just a smaller terd. Anyone that has used an Android tablet already knows this.
It’s amazing the type of slop that has been slapped together and rushed to market in the tablet space in the past 18 months or so.
So this tablet is crap before you even know what it is?
Funny, I played with plenty of android tablets, and I think that they are way much better than an iPad. ;P
BAAAA-ZING!!!
It is solid, relevant pieces like this that keep me coming back for more.
You sure told them!