I've already written about reading books on the iPad so I thought I should talk about magazines as well. I LOVE reading magazines digitally. I currently have Cosmo, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, All You, Wired and Martha Stewart Living. With the exception of Cosmo, I am a print subscriber to those titles, too.

Publishers are putting really awesome touches to their digital editions. Elements on some of the pages move (snow falls, lighbulbs glow for example), music plays, you can watch video tutorials, listen to interviews and lots of the ads are interactive. The video below is from Wired's site*. It shows the process of putting a digital issue together and some of the features of the app. My inner nerd loves behind the scenes stuff like this.

All of the digital magazines I have were free with my print subscription except Cosmo, which was a free deal I found on a blog. My Wired print subscription only cost $10 for the year and my Martha Stewart print was a freebie I found online too. Free magazine deals pop up all the time online.

As more and more companies offer the digital bundled with the print, you could be able to score some really great deals that will give you access to both if you keep your eyes open. If you have an iPad but someone you know does not, split the subscription cost. My mom has been wanting to subscribe to All You and I only have one issue left. Perfect timing.

Do I need both a print and digital copy? Not really. But, I usually leave a few magazines in my car for waiting in the car pool line, my ortho appointments or Tyler's hockey practice. I don't always take my iPad with me. I can read the digital copy in bed without needing a reading light and without the page turning keeping Phil awake. So far, I have had few problems with the apps crashing. The issues  download quickly and the features are easy to use.

Now, I'm more inclined to buy a print subscription if I know I'll have digital access for free. I'm hoping to renew Real Simple for just this reason. I do think there's a market for print and I hope the industry sees the wisdom in offering both formats to consumers. I see the future of digital copies being that we'll be able to share articles over different platforms.

Here's a list of magazines that offer a free digital subscription with a paid print:

InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Wired, Martha Stewart, People, Time, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Fitness, Business Week, Fortune, All You, Health, Southern Living, Cooking Light, Sports Illustrated Kids, Essence

For those with an iPad are you reading magazines on it? Do you like it? If you don't have a tablet, do you see yourself using this feature?

Find out what other bloggers are loving this Thursday 

with Jill over at Diaper Diaries.

Edited 7/10/14: The video has been removed but, for reference, Wired Magazine's first iPad issue came out in 2010. Read about on Wired.com and NDTV.com. 

Overdrive for iPad: Borrowing Library Books with an App

Tyler and I went to the library yesterday. I've been flying through the Sookie Stackhouse books and needed the next in the series. I noticed a news camera and reporter while I was using the computer. I asked which station he was from because I was going to be on the news myself that night. We chatted and he asked if he could use me in a sound bite. Me be on camera? Absolutely! I love being in front of the camera. It's the Leo in me.

The topic was libraries in the digital age and the new system for checking out books on your portable device. I figured I should give the system a try since I spoke about it! The app I'm using is called Overdrive and it's free in the iTunes store. 

To use the Overdrive app, you need to have an account on Adobe (for the EPUB files) as well as as access to the digital library system in your area. For San Diego, it's the Serra Digital Download Library. Once you download the app, it will walk you through setting up your account including choosing the libraries in your area, adding your library card number and registering with Adobe if you haven't already. 

iTunes iPad screen shot

Once you have your account, it's really easy to search for and check out books. I've got one book available and three titles on hold: Once Upon a Time There Was You by Elizabeth Berg*, Dreams of Joy by Lisa See, Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris and Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. Only the Berg title is avaialble now. Once the others are, I will get an email letting me know they're available for download. I love that, just like my regular online library account, the Serra system tells me what number I am in line for the checkout so I know how fast I have to read the books I have now.

Once a title is available for download, you authorize the app with your Adobe account ID. I downloaded the Berg book in just a few seconds and it will be available until August 9th. After that, unless I return it early, it disappears from my iPad. Since I installed the app only yesterday, I can't thoroughly review it but I have experienced some of the feedback in iTunes like the fact that you have to leave the app to search for books in a browser.

I've been wanting to try digital books and this is going to be a great way to dip my feet in. Between this lending system and the freebies that pop up on Amazon and Nook, I can still indulge my voracious habit and keep costs low. I still buy books every so often, but generally from the used books store. Combine the ebooks with the ones I buy, those I get from my mom and the ones I check out; my digital and physical book shelves will always be well stocked!

Have you gotten into the digital book revolution? Are you borrowing from your local library?

See the news piece on Fox 5 San Diego

*She's one of my favorite authors
ETA: you can also download Overdrive for your PC or Mac