Newspaper iPad Version

     Technology has been changed more advance today, as well as newspaper. Last time, we need to go out from our house just to get a newspaper; another easiest way is delivery the newspaper to your house. According to Wilson (2011) few years ago, thanks to technology advancements,we just need to sit down, click few buttons on your computer and you can read whatever news that you want. Nowadays, you can even read news in just few tap and flip because iPad has the app for reading news in a more fun and engaging way. In Malaysia, we have The Star on iPad, Sinchew-I App, Berita Harian iPad App (iBH). All of these are Malaysian newspaper but in iPad version.

Malaysia's newspaper in iPad version
(Source: Own photo)

     According to Walsh (2006), reading print-based text and multimodal text requires different process. Electronic or digital screen has sound and movement which is an advance in giving impact to the readers and easier for reader to manipulate it.

    However, according to an article titled: “iPad-only newspaper furthers media trend” by Trotter (2011) stated the opinion of students regarding the new multimedia of reading news. Some of them prefer to read the traditional newspaper; they don’t think that iPad news reading can be replaced. The students rather stick with the traditional way. But some still prefer the digital way because it is very convenient and cheap. iPad users need to pay only $1 per week or $40 per year to subscribe the news app. It is cheaper compared to a physical newspaper which cost $2 per edition.

     According to Nielsen’s (2011) article titled: "iPad Usability" stated that the user interfere on iPad has become less wacky compare to last year (2010). They have ‘back button’, ‘homepage button’, ‘direct lead to the article by tapping the title’ and also ‘broader lead of search’ now. Pictures below show the comparison of last year and this year navigation of USA Today.   

Left: Last year's navigation
Right: This year navigation with SECTIONS button
（Source: useit.com）

     For conclusion, I encourage people to read news using the digital way because it is environmental friendly, you can even retrieve back the older news from the web. However, can’t deny, majority of people still reading the print-based news, especially the older generations.  

References:

Wilson, J.L 2011, The Best iPad News Reading Apps, viewed on 14 November 2011, <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384661,00.asp#fbid=5AlGyfeXu38>

Nielsen, J 2011, Ipad Usability: Year One, viewed on 14 November 2011 <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ipad.html>

 Trotter, C 2011, iPad-only newspaper furthers media trend, viewed on 14 November 2011  <http://www.thecento.com/news/2011/feb/17/ipad-only-newspaper-furthers-media-trend/>

Walsh, M. 2006, ‘Textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts,” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, p.24-37.