The End of an Era

            We have all known for quite some time that digitalization is the present and the future of print. People now go online to do their reading, catch up on news, shop or what have have you. The internet has more doors then imaginable for the access and sharing of information. Like the travel agent, the post office, and countless other industries, the world of publishing has been irrevocably effected by technology. And while I am not sad for the travel agent, because they never offer the best deal, or the post office because of their gross inefficiency, discourteous staff and unreasonable prices, I do feel sad for print literature. Today readers of print are an endangered species in my view. The next generation will probably only know of the Dewey Decimal System through stories told by "old people" about how they used to have to look up books. Sadly they will be not afforded the sensory experience of a book, the feel of its weight or the pages as they glide along fingers, the faint smell of ink, or the dog eared pages that express a books history. As you can probably tell I'm staunchly anti- nook book. But, this is the world we live in today, and despite my personal objections, technology in this arena is moving forward making the art of literature conveniently accessible to the tech hungry masses.
           To this end, Hearst Publishing Co has announced a deal with Apple that "will make them the first big magazine publisher to sell subscriptions for digital editions on the iPad."  Esquire, Popular Mechanics and O will be available next month starting with the July issue for $19.99 a year or $1.99 a month through iTunes. Other publishers such a Conde Naste and Time have failed to come to agreements with Apple in this matter.  And though details of the exact terms of the deal have not been disclosed a spokeswoman for Hearst called it an "equitable and fair agreement to owning customers together." Owning customers together, as a customer I am slightly offended by the choice of wording.  Apple contributes a strong platform for sales and has the resources to accurately and efficiently procure consumer data, something that Hearst is excited about.
            Both companies obviously stand to gain through the pairing and are for the time being leaving other publishers in the dust.