Wired launches iPad issue

Wired magazine has launched its first iPad issue, and the cost if $4.99 — the same as the print publication.

Andrew Vanacore of the Associated Press writes, “Wired’s app has essentially two different layouts, one that can be seen when the iPad is turned on its side and another when it’s standing up. The text and photos are presented much as they would appear in a printed magazine, but optimized for the iPad’s dimensions. A reader can tap a button in the right hand corner to zoom out and scroll through the magazine’s pages in a kind of story-board format.

“Most of the articles have features that go beyond what appears in the magazine. A reader can slide a finger across the screen to watch as a Lego Lamborghini takes shape step-by-step, compiled from 180 different images. Tapping buttons in a story about the rock band Nine Inch Nails brings up the individual tracks that make up a song.

“Advertisers have new opportunities as well. Mercedes has a 30-second, high-definition video ad of the sort that would usually run on TV.

“The catch: You’ll have to pay $4.99 for each issue, the same as the cover price for the printed version of Wired. It’s yet to be seen whether many readers will pay for an app when the Web site is free and just a few clicks away. Subscriptions, which in the case of Wired’s print edition can bring the cost down to $1 per issue, aren’t available yet through the iTunes store.”