Speculation over iPad content cost

London: How much would you be willing to pay to use iPad content in your leisure time?

As the release of the iPad draws closer, publishers are starting to discuss how much they should charge. Should iPad users pay the same amount as a monthly subscription to have a newspaper delivered to their door?

There are people in the industry who believe a digital version should cost about as much as the print delivery because otherwise people will cancel their real "physical" subscription. E-book prices are usually about as much as a paperback version; Amazon charges, for example, no more than $9.99 or £6.28. However, Amazon was recently forced to pull all Macmillan titles after the publisher insisted the price should be higher between $12.99 and $14.99. Digital converts on the other hand are afraid that high pricing would kill the chances of a rich version as iPad distribution comes with none of the paper's delivery costs; furthermore, there is already a free digital version online.