NY Times Offering Deal for Long Time Subscribers

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/03/22/ny-times-offers-long-time-subscribers-one-year-free-for-web-iphone-ipad/' target='_blank'>http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/03/...eb-iphone-ipad/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"The New York Times has been criticized since it announced pricing for its online and mobile editions, but the newspaper is making moves to draw users in."</em></p><p><img height="235" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1300812942.usr105634.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>The moves they are making are offering long time customers, via email, a free one year subscription to the mobile apps (both iPhone and iPad) and the web version of the paper. Not sure yet who is defined as a "long time subscriber" but it's not a bad deal, and I wonder if this is in response to the complaints about the confusion of the pricing, and they hope to draw in their customers while they can? What are your thoughts?</p>

[Brad Adrian]

This is a step in the right direction, but it's not quite what I would call fair. My problem is with their additional fee for viewing the Times on more than one electronic device, like both an iPhone and iPad.

If I buy an electronic subscription -- or at least a Web-based one and not one that's pushed to me directly by the NYT -- I should be able to view the paper on ANY Web-compatible device. As I said when they first announced their fees, paying more to read the NYT on an iPad AND an iPhone is like paying more for a printed newspaper because I carry it from one room to another.