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I re-watched the iPad keynote today with Deearne, and it struck me that newspapers (and magazines) really are a killer app for the iPad.

During the keynote an app for viewing the New York Times was demoed. While watching this is struck me how frustrated I get with buying/reading the newspaper where I live. If I get the newspaper delivered, half the time it arrives after I leave for work. If I buy it on my way to work it can sometimes be painful if I don’t have the right change, and lining up when I might be running late is annoying. Not to mention that if I get the paper on my way to the office, it often occurs that I get too busy there to read it. And although newspapers these days all have web sites, they are usually a cut-down version of what you get in the printed edition.

What I’d love is a full version of my local newspaper that I could download to the iPad when I want to read it. If I could get this I’d buy an iPad, despite my comments yesterday, and would buy the downloadable content from the newspaper publishers as well (are you listening newspaper publishers—I don’t reckon I’m alone in being prepared to pay for an electronic copy of the full paper).

I’d guess the situation is similar for many magazine purchasers. The form factor of the iPad would appear to make it an excellent reading device, something which most desktop and laptop computers aren’t. The ability to download content whenever you want, and wherever you are, also makes it much more compelling than the printed editions.

For now I guess I’ll just have to wait, but to me devices like the iPad would appear to be the future of periodical publishing.