The Times offers subsidised Nexus 7s to get subscribers

One day on from the announced closure of The Daily - which was Rupert Murdoch's first attempt at a fondleslab-only newspaper - his British broadsheet the Times is flogging cheap Nexus 7 tablets to those who subscribe to the paper. The Google tablet normally retails at around £199, but Times and Sunday Times readers who sign-up …

[NoneSuch]

Sounds like a fair deal apart from having to get the Times.

[DrXym]

The Times isn't too bad. The really scary papers at the moment are the Daily Mail and Telegraph which have lurched far more to the right than the Times ever has.

[Anonymous Coward]

The times isn't that bad, but paying £318 a year to read it online is.

Throwing in a Nexus still leaves it £100 more expensive than reading nearly every other news site online.

[Code Monkey]

If there were a way to do this so Murdoch lost money, I'd do it.

[LinkOfHyrule]

There is, its called buying a Nexus 7 at normal price to read the news on news.bbc.co.uk and of course the Register! It actually makes him cry because even if you would have never read the Times anyway, he sees you as part of "the problem". And yes those tears are real, poor Ru, no one wants to read his papers anymore because some nasty men invented the internet boohooblaahaaa!

Paris because her bits are just as happy being splashed all over a tablet as they are over pulped dead trees!

[Magnus Ramage]

Better bargain still...

It's even better than they're saying if you pay up-front - the newspaper subscription is £312 for 18 months at £4/week, so the Nexus 7 is effectively free. Except you have to give the money to Murdoch and read the Times.

If it were the Guardian, or the Independent, it would be a huge bargain. But it's never the good guys who go for these things.

[SkippyBing]

Re: Better bargain still...

Yes, the Guardian such good guys that they don't use offshore trusts and other shenanigans to avoid paying tax in the UK. Still at least they don't criticise people doing exactly the same thing, that'd make them hypocrites of the highest order...

[Santonia]

Re: Better bargain still...

The Guardian's been losing money hand over fist for the last few years. I dooub they're too worried about tax, given that it's payable on profits....

[Simon Barker]

Re: Better bargain still...

True but they did dodge tax on their sale of Autotrader so the earlier point of them being hypocrites of the highest order stands.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Better bargain still...

The Guardian has been losing money because of some perhaps ill-advised management adventures that cost them a packet so they had to sell half the profitable arm (that flogs motors) to a private equity company. I think the Guardian's main problem with capitalism is that it isn't actually very good at it. (Disclaimer: I am neither rich enough nor right wing enough to be a Guardian reader. I stick to the Indy and the BBC).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Better bargain still...@SkippyBing

You misunderstand. The Graun does these things purely as research into the Wickedness Of Capitalism^TM. Let's face it, its profits are so dismal that there's probably no tax to dodge.

[LinkOfHyrule]

I just had an idea...

...the Register should do this exact same deal - 18 months at 4 quid a week with a free Nexus thingmabob and exclusive access to a new online service called "The Register Extra Paris" - Its the Register you know and sort of love but with exclusive photos of Paris using tech gear in an unconventional manner to visually illustrate each article!

Just imagine, breaking news about the latest Apple product hits and to really give the story the impact a modern tablet savy audience needs, there's a huge jpeg of Paris doing a bit of the old pinch to zoom using only the sequins on her $500,000 designer brassiere!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Better bargain still...

Why would anyone or any organization pay more tax than they legally need to?

[SkippyBing]

Re: Better bargain still...

'Why would anyone or any organization pay more tax than they legally need to?'

Why not ask the Guardian, they seem to think everyone should by decrying the various avoidance methods used, and then using them themselves.

I don't have a problem with them only paying the tax they legally need to, it's the hypocrisy I can't stand.

[Osmosis Jones]

Re: Better bargain still...

Except the Guardian is effectively a not for profit entity, where there is no private shareholder. The "tax dodging" trust puts all profits back, ensuring the newspaper survives and flourishes...given there are still plonkers like you who accept right wing nonsense (provenance of your sh1tty contribution) as Gospel, i for one am quite happy at the Graun's tax arrangements.

[SuperNintendoChalmers]

Not much of a deal is it?

With a minimum 18 month subscription to The Times at £17.33 working out at £361.94 including tablet cost, unless you were already planning on both buying a Nexus and subscribing anyway, I can't see it pulling in too many punters.

[Anonymous Coward]

People pay for news on the internet? What madness is this? o.o

[I think so I am?]

Fixed that for you

People pay for THINGS that's are easily available from the internet for FREE? What madness is this?

[mrfill]

Even better bargain

Just buy a Nexus 7 and read the Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Mail (if you must) and BBC.

This will save you £100 off the £299 'deal' and avoid getting involved with the Dirty Digger

[Richard 81]

Re: Even better bargain

No. There's no excuse for reading the Mail.

[JetSetJim]

Re: Even better bargain

The Mail has entertainment value, even if it has no news value. And when viewed with Ad-Block plus it's a bit more readable.

Now all it needs is a Greasemonkey script that removes all stories of the Kardashian clan, or Samantha Brick (and now all the "OMG - Kate is preggers"/"OMG it's a boy/girl" shite we'll have rammed down our throats for the next year or two - perhaps the Onion will run a "Shock - Prince Harry is the father" story?)

[JayBizzle]

Re: Even better bargain

@JetSetJim "OMG - Kate is preggers"/"OMG it's a boy/girl" shite we'll have rammed down our throats for the next year or two"

she isn't an elephant!

[JetSetJim]

Re: Even better bargain

@JayBizzle: You think there won't be copious saccharine-imbued text/pics released post-birth in addition to the name speculation (Hint: Diana if it's a girl? Or do you reckon something more regal?)? We'll get "first outing", "first meeting with granny Windsor", "first pram trip", "gosh isn't Kate holding up well looking after the kid", weekly updates on the outfits it is wearing, commentary on how to achieve the "look" and where each accessory (baby sling, baby grow, nappy bag etc...) has come from. Hell, I bet someone will try and get hold of a soiled nappy to be the first to put one on eBay.

[JayBizzle]

Re: Even better bargain

@JetSetJim

Good point - I think I am going to have to turn the world off for a bit....

Although I dont indulge in the magazines and newspapers that would tout all of this and I'd like to hope (no chance then) that the BBC will not go to crazy over it all....

I reckon the child will be called either George or Victoria Diana you heard it here first! and I will refer to this post in 7-8 months time....

[JetSetJim]

Re: Even better bargain

@JayBizzle - Don't forget the "Middleton themed party bandwagon" which will no doubt roll out overpriced paper plates with pictures of the little tike on it (on a side note, I've no idea how peddling such tat could have made them so rich)

[Pete the not so great]

Re: Even better bargain

John Terry out injured for the last few weeks, Kate Middleton suddenly

pregnant. Coincidence?

[DrXym]

Re: Even better bargain

"No. There's no excuse for reading the Mail."

There is if you're a closet xenophobe and bigot and want your worst fears confirmed on a daily basis via one distorted article after another.

[LarsG]

Re: Even better bargain

@Richard 8

'No. There's no excuse for reading the Mail.'

You tell that to my wife and see how far you can walk without your head attached to your shoulders.

I've learned to keep the opinion to myself.....

[Jason Hindle]

Re: It's not a bad deal at all

"Just buy a Nexus 7 and read the Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Mail (if you must) and BBC.

This will save you £100 off the £299 'deal' and avoid getting involved with the Dirty Digger"

That would be the Telegraph, Guardian and Independent who all risk extinction if they don't sort out sustainable, on-line (paid) subscriptions in the coming years?

This is actually quite a good deal. I used to like the Times but these days it's brand (and all Murdoch brands) is tainted by a single word: Fox!

[mrfill]

and for the faithful...

Existing subscribers will be delighted to hear that a similar package at renewal will cost them a less than reasonable £511 as existing subscribers are excluded from the deal. Ha ha.

[M7S]

The Times used to sell for 10p as a promotion

It hasn't improved in line with the price

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Times used to sell for 10p as a promotion

It's not been the same since they made the dire move to the tabloid format. Come to think of it, it's been going downhill since they took the small ads off the front page.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: The Times used to sell for 10p as a promotion

Absolutely. I loved the old Times which had ads on page 1 and every article seemed to have been written by God. My father threw a fit when Roy Thompson took it over. Fortunately nowadays he has the Western Daily Press (which is a surprisingly good newspaper).

[Pen-y-gors]

Real micropayments or something?

Obviously I wouldn't want to soil my eyeballs or mind by reading any of the Murdoch output but...

I do like to read the odd article in the Grauniad, Indo and Torygraph etc. but I don't want to read everything. I'd be perfectly happy to pay say £10 p.a. each to be allowed to read up to a dozen articles a day. Alternatively I'd pay 1p per article - but there's no system that allows that.

Time for a real micropayments system, or a more sophisticated subscription system instead of the all or nothing systems that we have at the moment.

[Velv]

Re: Real micropayments or something?

Schrödinger's Article - the article exists, and might be either a good article or a rubbish article, but until you open and read it you can't determine if its worth paying money to read.

[Sloping Shoulders]

good grief what a load of leftie whingers. oooo Rupert is evil. oooo i can't bear it.

Honestly grow up.

He knows how to actually make papers that people want to buy and the Times is the best example of writers in a newspaper there is.

The Guardian, so beloved of lefties is hugely hypocritical, and so boring it would have been out of business if it hadn't been using tax shelters for years. Never mind being unable to even get the story accurate in its 'biggest story about phone hacking'.

Left wingers moan about people losing their jobs, but want anyone associated with Murdoch to lose theirs. Except it doesn't quite work out that way does it.

[Mike Brown]

you are aware that his newspapers hacked the voicemail of a murdered child, in a way that gave hope to the parents that she was still alive?

[whocares]

I think that was the point he was making, that they managed to get their biggest story about the newspaper hacking the voice mail of a murdered child wrong. The Guardian actually printed a correction to their story but they did not advertise the correction as much as they did the incorrect article. Can't imagine why :-)

[John H Woods]

Only one news paper worth subscribing to ...

... Private Eye.

Especially because you then have an excuse to write to them to say you are disgusted about something and you are cancelling your subscription.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Only one news paper worth subscribing to ...

Used to be. It's run by a Beeboid leftie 'tv personality' these days, who knows where his appearance fees come from.

[Robert Grant]

Er

Random question - if I go to another country with said fondleslab and connect to wifi there, will it get me my copies of the Times? What I mean is: is the Times just another app?

[@brykins]

Might be good for me...

I have a teenage son about to start an Economic A-Level and a Politics A-Level so a subscription to The Times would be good. I also have another son who is after a Nexus7 for Xmas. So I need both of these things. Anyone have the subscription and able to confirm if it's tied to a device, a Google account, or a login? Ideally I'd like to be able to use it on MY N7, my son's N7 and other furture tablets as well....obviously one dead-tree paper in the house can be read by everyone, can the digital editions?

[wondermouse]

Minimum 18 month contract

I would have given it a go, but there's a minimum 18 month contract whether you pay all at once or in monthly instalments.

Last time I tried the Sunday Times Ipad app it was awful and clunky compared to the Grauniad one.

So for those reasons, Rupert.... I'm out.

[Velv]

Re: Minimum 18 month contract

They're optimistic of being here in 18 months given there are only 17 days left until the end of the world - a fact that seems to have escaped the front page of The Times :)

[elaar]

But does that package include a Nexus 7 that actually works?

I bought one for my partner's birthday (which is today). She opens it up this morning, only to find that the touch screen doesn't work at all.

Spent 30mins on the phone to Google Play support and now have to wait for a replacement. Really not off to a good start!

[Anonymous Coward]

Look on the bright side..

.. at this moment it *really* does no evil..

[Anonymous Coward]

Bah!

Get the iPad Mini instead. Simples.

[Matt Piechota]

"But does that package include a Nexus 7 that actually works?"

The one I got last week worked fine. Took it out, played with it for an hour or so (update to 4.2, etc, etc.), did a factory reset on it and put it away. It's a Christmas gift.

What's funny is how impossibly small my 4.6" phone screen seemed when I picked it up after using the nexus.

[the-it-slayer]

Lovely... Google not able to shift the Nexus stock quick enough...

...and encouraging a paper to lock you into a 18-month deal that's not that beneficial to anyone apart from hardcore newspaper readers.

Desperate signals from Google when the iPad is still flying off the shelves with very little effort.

[Mark .]

Re: Lovely... Google not able to shift the Nexus stock quick enough...

"Desperate signals from Google when the iPad is still flying off the shelves with very little effort."

Apple receives vastly more free hype and advertise than anyone else, and never mind subsidised, I've lost track of the number of "win a free ipad/iphone" - seems they can't even give them away. Yet there's one single subsidised Android device, and that's "desperate"?

Only just now, reading a random website, I see yet another "Get the iphone app" - sorry, like most people I don't have an iphone. Where's the support for those of us using the popular platforms like Android, Symbian or Windows desktop? Or for those who like to think different with Blackberry or Linux?

"very little effort"? IOS devices have been the most overhyped and most marketed product in history, yet they failed to outsell Symbian in its lifetime, and now are outsold by Android by almost five to one - despite zero effort for either of those two platforms.

[the-it-slayer]

Re: Lovely... Google not able to shift the Nexus stock quick enough...

"Apple receives vastly more free hype and advertise than anyone else, and never mind subsidised, I've lost track of the number of "win a free ipad/iphone" - seems they can't even give them away. Yet there's one single subsidised Android device, and that's "desperate"?"

Ummmmmm... Well, there's a difference between people openly buying the iPhone/iPad to give away in competitions and companies having to do backhand deals with other markets to give away their product in bundle deals. Understand now?

"Only just now, reading a random website, I see yet another "Get the iphone app" - sorry, like most people I don't have an iphone. Where's the support for those of us using the popular platforms like Android, Symbian or Windows desktop? Or for those who like to think different with Blackberry or Linux?"

Application developers know where there market it is. There's some evidence that iOS users (although less in physical units comparison to Android) use their apps/internet more often. Also, some developers choose to only developer/support one because of the audience they want to target.

"... "very little effort"? IOS devices have been the most overhyped and most marketed product in history, yet they failed to outsell Symbian in its lifetime, and now are outsold by Android by almost five to one - despite zero effort for either of those two platforms."

One device from one co versus many from various co's... fair comparison? Think not. iOS is not overhyped, it's that damn good IMHO.

[CmdrX3]

or......

I could just not bother subscribing, save myself £100 and read one of the many other available newspapers.

[Ian 55]

I am almost tempted by the pay monthly offer

Although there's a minimum term of 18 months, you're allowed to exit if the price changes. So all you need is a change in the VAT rate or Murdoch to get greedier (their digital subscriptions it used to be half the price) or similar and...

But it still means dealing with Murdoch.

[Daniel Harris 1]

Anybody know if the app lets you download the content for offline reading or does it just display from the web same as other news apps that are free?

Literally didn't know they charged for their online content until today, assumed it was free like every other paper, I can see why they would want to charge, they have to make a profit to stay in business, can see how many aren't convinced though since every other paper is free online, and you have tons of other places for news online too.

[Anonymous Coward]

The WSJ has about 700000 subscribers who believe it gives them magical insight into the stock market. KRM obviously thinks that the same should be true in this country, but he hasn't quite worked out that he didn't buy the FT.