Smartphones are nearly ubiquitous, tablet usage will likely be very high and e-readers will see a comparatively low number of owners but a high level of loyalty, according to Trippe.

One of the biggest questions for publishers is whether e-readers are simply an interim device, Trippe said. While Amazon’s Kindle is appealing to an older demographic, usage increases the longer the owner has the device, according to research from Gilbane parent Outsell.

Publishers who are pursuing iPad editions could follow Time Magazine’s strategy of releasing iPad versions a day or two before the print version. Wired’s Chris Anderson is predicting his magazine’s iPad version will soon eclipse newsstand sales (without hurting newsstand sell-through).

Lees verder op foliomag.com.