Tribune Co. Looking to Get Into Tablet Computer Business

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.