WIRED Magazine 17+

This app shows the true potential of future publications with it intertwining text and media in an innovative layout. The July 2010 magazine surprised me in the way they replaced a traditional picture within the magazine with an embedded media object such as rotating a 3D object or listening to portions of musical beat being created step-by-step. Features that could not be done on paper. In the recent issue, they bring in a live twitter stream with a hashtag related to the article, simply showing off at this point, but really bringing past visions of such content to reality. Handsdown with the vast amount of media embedded within each article the price of this app is easily justified (come on its just $4) since it brings you into a new level of interactivity within great articles. I would easily purchase the digital version of the mag over its $1 more counter part and once you really get a good feel for what the app brings you will no longer value paper over digital.

My only concern is the size of each magazine. I understand that a vast amount of video, etc. is stored within each download but 300mb+ is just ridiculous. Sure if I only used the wired app on my 16gb iPad I could store a little more than 50 issues on here but I have far more than Wired on my device. And it definitely forces you to download from WiFi at home and no possibility for download over WiFi.

They keep changing the app to make it worse. Now I can’t even archive an issue !

I think that this is the most innovative and interesting magazine I have yet to read on the iPad. Apart from cost, I'm not sure I understand most of the complaints registered by other reviewers. Maybe I haven't been using this app long enough to realize the glitches, but this is the only magazine I've seen that truly integrates the multimedia aspects of the tablet.
This app is what we all aspire to make in journalism school. It's fun, playful and interesting. It adds new levels of content rather than just copying the print edition or slightly melding it with the website.
On the terms of advertising, Wired uses far less ads than one would typically see in a print edition. They're even interesting, interactive advertisements, not just long scrolling pages of flat pictures. Advertisers don't seem to realize the incredible level of interest achieved through interactive ads, so they aren't pouring money into a relatively untested system. If there were more ads, cost could go down. But, without ads, the app must be sustained by online newsstand prices. So, either way, someone will find something to complain about until a reliable system of subscriptions can be put in place.
But, overall, I have read this magazine from cover to cover, and I plan on continuing indefinitely. Bravo, Wired. Best iPad mag I've found so far.