Tribune Co. Looking to Get Into Tablet Computer Business

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 9, 2011 7:40PM

CNN is reporting that tribune Co. is looking to get into the lucrative tablet computer market. The plan, according to someone familiar with it, is to offer an Android-based tablet with software for the owner's hometown newspaper. the tablet will be offered wither for free or at a highly subsidized price to newspaper subscribers who buy extended newspaper subscriptions, possibly with an addition wireless plan involved. The Philadelphia Media Network is also working on a similar plan.

The Tribune already offers free smartphone and iPad apps and has a software system for Windows phones and tablets and Android-based tablets called Mosaic. On the surface, this reads as an attempt to increase revenues without bringing up the possibility of a paywall. But we don't know Tribune Co.'s motivations behind this.

We would think that their energies would best be served by developing better apps, instead.