I still enjoy my daily NYT fix daily with Times Reader. One of the most enjoyable reading experiences around.

THe only way I ever see TimesReader coming to the Mac is if Microsoft ports it to SilverLight. But personally I think their time would be better spent porting MicrosoftReader to SilverLight first.

In my own case, when they started charging I uninstalled TimesReader and haven’t felt any urge to re-install it. In my opinion, newspapers are like Palm Inc: they are all looking for a place to fall over and finish decomposing.

Not sure I agree…I too really like the TimesReader software. However, in a world where “content is king”, it makes no sense whatsoever to charge monthly for the TimesReader use when practically all of the same content is available free via their website or RSS readers. It’s merely a more pleasant experience to use the TimesReader software. Yesterday I downloaded the whole paper to my laptop and read the content on the flight back home. It was convenient, but it was also frustrating that I couldn’t keep reading as we began our descent.

My favorite application is actually their mobile version at http://mobile.nytimes.com. That is VERY convenient for those short spurts during the day of 5-10 minutes while waiting on line, etc. for reading on my Treo.

James,

I, too, am glad that the NY Times is no longer charging for access to the TimesSelect content. However, they should retain the charge for the TimesReader, IMO.

That the same content comes in a different application is not a reason to drop the fee. Those who pay to receive the paper in physical form pay for the same content (less content, actually); those (like me) who pay for the electronic edition of the paper (via NewsStand) pay for the same content.

Because I have a subscription to the paper, I can use the TimesReader at no additional charge. I used to think the Reader was useless, but when I’m trying to quickly read an article during lunch, I find the Reader easier and quicker to access than downloading my copy of the paper via NewsStand.

Rather than view the TimesReader as a competitor to reading the website or its RSS feed (though the experience of the Reader is superior, IMO), think of it as subscribing to the paper (and financially supporting newspapers in general) without making them generate a paper copy for you; that is, as a competitor to the downloadable electronic edition. Once I made this shift in my thinking, I was suddenly much happier with the TimesReader and its fee!

Now if only they would release a version for the Mac, I would *really* be pleased.