Why Are iPad Mags More Than Print Versions, Because You'll Pay It

I noticed the day that I picked my iPad up from the front door steps of my house and fired the thing up that apps and other content for the device was more expensive than for the iPhone. I really liked the idea of reading magazines and news papers on the iPad, but when I heard how much the things were going to cost, I changed my mind.

It seems to me that when you can get a subscription to a magazine in print for $1 per issue, selling me a much cheaper to produce and deliver digital version at more than four times that amount is robbery. This is exactly the case with the digital version of Popular Science. The print mag is $12 for a year or $1 per issue while the digital iPad version is $4.99 per issue for a year.

Why is that? The digital version has no print costs and no delivery costs like the print version does. Despite that, the digital version of Popular Science is doing well. Why are the magazines so much more for the iPad? Because iPad owners will pay more is the answer. If you want to see digital and print versions at the same pricing, don't buy the expensive mags that publishers are peddling to iPad users today.