BBC Focus Magazine

[Ingajohn]

When caN Droid users expect a Focus app ??

[M Paul Lloyd]

Hello and welcome Ingajohn, this would perhaps have been better placed in Feedback but never mind we can work around that I'm sure.

As for an Android app from Focus, well I can only say that they may well do so but only as and when they can get around to it.

I'll ask on your behalf if that's ok?

[Ingajohn]

Sorry bout the wrong topic - not very good at navigating forums I'm afraid. Yes any info on the android app would great . . just getting used to me new Galaxy . . . .

[Louise Ridley]

Hi Ingajohn, Louise from Focus magazine here. Thanks for asking about the app - hope you are enjoying your Galaxy tab! At the moment the app is only for iPad, and we don’t have immediate plans to make an Android app but will certainly look into it and watch the market – over 90% of tablets owned at the moment are iPads, so it makes sense for us to concentrate on Focus for the iPad at the moment, but that may change in future...

In the meantime you can flick through the Zinio edition of Focus here: http://gb.zinio.com/browse/publications ... =500601540

Louise
BBC Focus magazine

[Bigsmak]

I would have thought that the intelligent people that read Focus magazine would be less likely to by the hyped up Apple products and instead make buying decisions based on usability and price comparisons..

Regards,

Another Android user! ......

[midders]

I have to agree with Bigsmak on this one! I'm not biased HONEST! but I have to admit that I do have a Samsung Galaxy S phone

Forget the tablet market what about us poor lowly smartphone users with our android based phones that are being discriminated against :cry: because we won't follow the herd and buy an iThingy.

We want an app for Android!....Please.

[Willxx]

I would have thought that the intelligent people that read Focus magazine would be less likely to by the hyped up Apple products and instead make buying decisions based on usability and price comparisons..

Regards,

Another Android user! ......

+1 here - I'm not an Apple fan, I prefer having a choice of what and where I install on my devices

[gmavrovelis]

With the Motorola Xoom being on the Market now, u should consider an adroid app. And its unbelievable that you dont have faith in google. Who can compete with google? I dont think apples tablets 1st place would last long. Android system is defo much better.

[James Cuthbert]

while I agree that apple has the lions share of the market, I believe it is very short sighted to believe it will remain that way, although not tablet related as of august 2011 android mobiles accounted for
50% of the world market according to this article
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/0 ... nalys.html
and android tablets hold around 30% market share which I am convinced will only continue to increase.
I myself own the in my opinion vastly superior ASUS Transformer TF101
I don't believe any company can afford to deny potentially 30% of its customers access to its product.

[M Paul Lloyd]

If it is of any consolation I have it on good authority that Focus are currently working on an Android App.

[Lance]

Come on FOCUS!!

As per your logo SCIENCE * TECHNOLOGY * FUTURE

Dont you think it is about time an application was made for Android platforms; with Android holding a large share of both the phone and tablet market and rapidly increasing.
People are starting to wake up to apples overrated devices and software, try to keep up!

x

[M Paul Lloyd]

I don't know if you have noticed Lance but we are in the depths of a financial recession just now and money, which sadly is an absolute must when initiating any such move, is a bit tight ?

The good people at Focus central would love to have every bit of gadgetry possible up and running right now but they need time and perhaps a few more subscriptions?

[Thinker]

The good people at Focus central would love to have every bit of gadgetry possible up and running right now but they need time and perhaps a few more subscriptions?

Very clever!

[M Paul Lloyd]

Blatant marketing ploy I know, but you have to try, after all those celebrity articles cost a bloomin' fortune you know.

[Lance]

The good people at Focus central would love to have every bit of gadgetry possible up and running right now but they need time and perhaps a few more subscriptions?

Good Call!!

Have been an avid reader of focus for at least the last 5 year, and tend to get most issues.

Make a deal as soon as the Focus team get the Android application out (instead of giving away free access to ipad app) I will be happy to subscribe.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I'll look forward to that Lance, I'm not a huge fan of Apple myself and a few alternatives would be good but we will have to be rather patient I fear.

[Willxx]

The good people at Focus central would love to have every bit of gadgetry possible up and running right now but they need time and perhaps a few more subscriptions?

hmm.. already got one of those fellas and as you say moneys tight so can't really justify springing for a second one this year
Perhaps, as suscribers and forum users, we should get a discounted rate to encourage us to give gift subscriptions as presents? (or is that already available?)

[M Paul Lloyd]

To be absolutely honest Willxx I do not know if it is but I can see the appeal, although what constitutes a worthwhile 'discount' is often a bone of contention in my experience?

Back in my day printing the actual magazine was usually one of your biggest overheads, especially if you wanted the luxury of colour on anything other than the cover, these days you can have almost anything within reason at a relative unit cost that would have been science fiction back then.
Revenue from advertising was always important, and for some of the mainstream publications a full page ad' was a real gold mine but generally it was always, wrongly, assumed that it paid all the bills with what you got from subs and newsagents being pure profit!
Ha! If only, usually the cover price was your income and given that circulation and actual sales didn't always go hand in hand you could find yourself seriously out of pocket, especially if you had run a couple of 'prima donna' X£ per page articles in one issue.
It seems to be assumed that because magazines run articles by such celebrities as Prof' Brian Cox or James May then the staff must be veritably rolling in dosh but iof I'm any judge the people at Focus central generally just watch the money come in and go out by almost equal measure with, if they are lucky, ending up with something left over for the wages bill.

Manic moment over.

[asantaga]

Hi

Message for Louise...

Yes its true there a LOADS of ipads around, but Android tablets are picking up.. And google have said they will be concentrating on tablets for 2012/2013.. so please yes lets have an android magazine..

OR (!)

I also subscribe to magazines on Zinio (2 of them) on my Android tablet, so why not do something with Zinio so that we get Focus Free of charge using Zinio.. It would save you creating an app and simply use Zinio as the delivery medium...

Awaiting feedback

Angelo

[David Twohey]

With the lack of a Focus Android App, the only alternative is to buy the magazine using the Zinio App rather than subscribe?
I travel a lot for work and have a Focus subscription but don’t get to enjoy my Focus magazine until I get home! if I was to purchase the Focus magazine using the Zinio App on my Android powered tablet (a transformer prime) I could read the latest issue of Focus wherever I am in the world, so wouldn’t need a subscription.

Please concentrate on an Android App as not everyone has been pulled into the Apple trap!!!!!