Thursday, July 21, 2011

Taking on NYT version 3.0




With all the complaints about the new paywall set up by the Times, I have found the issue which is most damming for it as a IPhone app. Right before the new paywall went up, the NYT launched a new app which was supposed to be faster and easier. Of course as is usually the case in scenarios like this the new app has had everybody longing for the old one. Although you now pay for the content, you can no longer search easily or save them. The revamped favorite section is clumsy and the 'top news' feels like it is never updated. Granted the original app was always buggy but the new app bombards you with full screen ads which after you are already shelling out $15 per month seems excessive.

But what really gets me is the latest 3.0 update, I recently downloaded it and was miffed when I found out that it requires you to be in 3G or WiFi to even open the application. How the hell does this make sense??? The beauty of the app was always that you could download the entire paper before stepping into a subway station or a flight and read it at your leisure but all of a sudden it had become nothing better than an app which just launches a specific website.

Update:
After some digging, I found that there is a default setting the new app uses which does NOT allow for offline reading. Why this is the default setting is beyond comprehension

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