iPad Magazines

Wired Magazine sells 24,000 copies in one day

It turns out iPad may be a viable platform for magazines.

Wired magazine sold more than 24,000 iPad apps on its first day in the App Store. Many geeks prefer wired’s content just as much as they do the latest technology, which is probably a reason why the publication is selling so well for the iPad.

But what about those who aren’t likely to become first adopters of  the latest technology. GQ’s release of its app only managed to sell 57,000 copies in the last 6 months. Perhaps GQ subscribers haven’t picked up an iPad yet or prefer the hard copy version of the publication.

The Wired iPad app retails for $4.99, which is the same as the newstand price. The app includes articles and features in this month’s issue. Wired’s publisher Condé Nast sells about 82,000 copies of the magazine every month and has around 672,000 subscribers.

The jury is still out on whether or not the iPad or similar devices will be what magazines and newspapers are looking for. Internet advertising, such as CraigsList and Google , have taken a considerable bite out of print’s ad revenue over the last decade, hastening the industry’s search for a new business model to support the news gathering operation.

If mobile digital readers are the answer print publications are looking for, advertisers may eventually flock back to print.