For $19.95, Slate sees who its friends are
Article Abstract:
Slate magazine's new annual charge of $19.95 is being scrutinized as a test of the Internet's potential profitability. The Microsoft-owned online publication introduced the fee earlier in Mar 1998. Like most other Internet offerings, Slate had been available free of charge. Slate does not meet the criteria of successful fee-based niche Internet offerings, according to Forrester Research. Michael Kinsley, Slate's editor and creator, has created a product that does not fit into any particular area. The weekly publication since Jun 1996 has combined elements of print and electronic journalism, as well as Web sites. More than 17,000 subscription orders already have arrived, according to Slate and Microsoft, which aimed to reach 20,000 over the next few months. Such a subscription rate would generate $340,000 for Slate, whose annual operating costs are about $5 million, analysts say. Slate will have to market itself to win new readers and reverse advertiser skepticism.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1998
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Planners ease travel, but would Jack Kerouac have used one?
Article Abstract:
Rand MacNally's $44.95 Tripmaker Deluxe trip planner software lets users vary their trips according to multiple options. For example, Tripmaker Deluxe's driver profile lets users specify driving speed, driving hours and frequency of stops, as well as a daily budget. Users can also choose the fastest, shortest and most beautiful routes. After the users enters the destination and the stops along the way, Tripmaker generates a trip plan, informing the user if he is over budget. Tripmakers' generous options encourage travelers to work out every detail of a trip. Slightly less expensive, Microsoft Expedia's $39.95 Trip Planner 98 6.0 features several 360-degree moving images of famous sight-seeing locations, such as Philadelphia's Society Hill mansions.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1998
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In Spanish and Portuguese, Web growth spurt
Article Abstract:
1999 promises to be the first year that more people access the Web outside of the US than within. While the Web still lacks generally accepted standards for tracking users, some research companies estimate 20 million Spanish/Portuguese users worldwide, 14 million in Latin America. IDC thinks there are 16 million PCs in Latin America, with 20 percent on the Internet, 7 million by the end of 1999. They project a 32 percent growth rate over the coming 5 years. Many US English Web sites have or plan Spanish versions. One constraint is Latin American telecom rates. In Brazil, a user can get unlimited Web access for $20, then incur additional local toll call fees of $40 a month.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1999
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