I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if touch tablets are to succeed the most important change has to come from software and applications you can run on them, only on them or  better on them. Show me a way I could use a touch tablet and I will buy one, and I think I’m not the only one that thinks like this.

    Sports Illustrated, digital version

    Sports Illustrated, digital version

    Luckily someone’s doing something. That someone is Time Inc. which is now in the latest stages of development of a digital version of Sport Illustrated magazine which uses Adobe AIR and will be available as a separate subscription starting 2010. The digital SI version will feature more pictures in articles which can be viewed at various resolutions or a slideshow. Articles can be read in any order you want and can be shared via Twitter, Facebook, delicious and other social media services. Advertising will support video, just like the articles will. There’s a lot you will be able to do with a digital magazine and Sports Illustrated is a great example to star with.

    Live on a HP touch tablet

    Live on a HP touch tablet

    Below there are a few videos showing how this will work on virtually any touch enabled computer, not just touch tablets.

    And a more PRistic presentation of the Sports Illustrated digital version:

    [source]