Good news if you’ve been enjoying access to The Times iPad app.
If like me you were one of the first to stump up the cash for the app, you’ll have been delighted to find that you got 30 days extra free when the end of the month arrived. Well, they’ve done it again. Another 30 days free access! Here are the details (as received just now by email from the Editor, Daniel Finkelstein):As one of the first people to sign up, we would like to reward your decision with a further complimentary 30-day renewal. We want you to have the chance to see the many enhancements to the product – both editorial and technological – that we have planned. You will need to upgrade to version 1.4.1 this week, if you haven’t already, to take advantage of this offer.
Feedback from readers has allowed us to identify and implement many improvements to The Times app. Thank you to those of you who have sent us your comments and suggestions so far. We have been able to make sure this innovative product overcomes some of the technical teething problems that are inevitable on a new device like the iPad. But we know that there is more to do. Our next update will make the product more stable, fix bugs and help prevent crashes. Technical improvements will also help avoid the late delivery of editions as experienced on Monday.
On one hand I’m a little alarmed that the team at The Times don’t quite feel ready to charge for the app after almost two months. But on the other hand, I’m thoroughly impressed at the iteration speed — and the manner in which they’ve responded to the various challenges and teething troubles that have arisen. I would imagine that this extension is only going to endear The Times more to their iPad subscribers. Thoughts?
Posted via email from MIR Live
Yeah, it's definitely great for existing subscribers. But, like you, I do wonder whether this is a sign that they're struggling to attract quite as many new subscribers – I hope so, because it's potentially a superb app. Flaws aside, it's already one of the nicest ways I've ever read a newspaper
Can I just say that if this thing happened on any sort of “mainstream” application from the Ovi store, most of the news reporting it, would be deeply in the negative. As it is from iTunes, it seems to be mostly positive. Just saying that's all.
Also I am seriously considering doing a full on LCA on this version of the newspaper versus the physical, normal version…
Agreed