I do have to say that people like indies like Glenn Fleischman and Dave Eggers use Newsstand brilliantly, so it’s by no means only an option for the likes of Condé Nast.
I wish the rest of the App Store would be like Newsstand.
Or perhaps you shouldn't tell him what he should care about and what he shouldn't. Just a thought.
I don’t think the article does a good job at explaining why developers would be better off not using Newsstand.
The only thing I saw mentioned as a disadvantage of Newsstand is that magazine titles aren’t placed on the main level but in a separate folder labeled ‘Newsstand’. That supposedly makes the magazines hard to find. However, many comments in this thread are about how prominent Newsstand is placed and how it is hard to ignore (ie. it can’t be removed, and until recently it couldn’t be stowed in a junk folder).
An iPad (or iWhatever) owner's screen is the same as the aisle. Of course, they can put items into folders, but its their own choice, and even then the folders give a representation of what's inside. Plus, if they choose to folder-ize, having done so deliberately they'll more likely remember where to find their favorite periodicals (and that they're there in the first place).
However, once the digital magazine is sold, either through the Newsstand Store or the App Store, the shopping experience is forgotten. The item is paid for and placed in one of the customer’s kitchen cabinets. Magazines sold through Newsstand are placed in a logical place, magazines sold through another category of the App Store are not, it is up to the user to place it somewhere they can find it. I like my peanut butter to be automatically placed next to the honey and jelly, I have no need to put it in another cabinet next to the oregano and peppermill.
Perhaps you believe that iOS is so locked down that the third party doesn't have your info to send to their own servers and monetize? But in the wake of oh-so-many "app uploads all of your info" situations, I find it surprising to believe this.
Yes, Apple isn't forwarding your payment information but that doesn't mean that nothing at all goes to the publisher. They're going to get info on you, both through Apple and through their app on your device. They thrive on getting that info, and more than one is likely going to monetize that info as best they can.
It comes with the territory but please do not think that because Apple handles billing, magically all of your data is safe.
So basically Apple handles all the billing, and my data is safe.
Indeed. Heck, for many periodicals that's how they can afford to stay in business in the first place, their content is so thin.