Let's (not) party like its 1999 again

With the year drawing to a close, a few new year's wishes ; well perhaps resolutions really, for the digital magazine industry.

1. Give it up

Well, for free anyway. The success of Home Computer Magazine has demonstrated what can be achieved if the product is unregistered, unlocked, and best of all free.

Do you really need that $1.99 Mr Ziff ? Well actually in your case....

2. Dress for success

Looking at the current crop of magazines in the digital format, its heartening to see how many products are designed specifically for the format. My favourites are the Magwerks titles, but there are many others using clever, innovative design that will get their readers attention. If you want to see what not to do, have a look at the drudgery of Business 2.0 online.

They'll be lucky to make it to 3.0 if they keep that up.

3. We all need standards

In this case just one will do. One of the biggest problems the industry faces is that we have around a dozen companes making fuck all each. And everyone with their own "reader".

Great.

What happens when Microsoft roll their own reader into Longhorn, and Adobe finally decide to concentrate on Acrobat that much more ?

4. Go local

For a major magazine publishing country like the UK not to have its own digital company is er "strange" to say the least. Let's hope someone takes the bull by the horns and gets there before the US..