Confirmed via a tweet from Mr. Playboy himself, Hugh Hefner, the entire Playboy catalog will be coming to the Apple iPad this March. Complete in uncensored glory, PlayBoy for iPad will encompass the entire magazine, from the first issue to the last — and yes, that means every centerfold and photo spread. Is Apple changing its content policy?
The official tweets read, “Big news! Playboy — both old & new — will be available on iPad beginning in March” and “The iPad version of Playboy will include the whole magazine from the first issue to the latest.” Now before you go thinking Apple has approved a bona fide Playboy app, think again.
Playboy for iPad was produced by digital magazine publisher Bondi Digital. According to Bondi Digital co-founder David Anthony, “you’ll be able to access [Playboy] via the browser in your tablet and use the same password to access it on your computer”. Essentially they are simply selling a digital subscription with an optimized web layout for the iPad (likely based on HTML5).
However, an actual App will be sold in the Apple App Store – the catch is it will be censored. Since Apple has no control over the web sites you visit, the optimized web site will fill the void. It’s not quite as nice as having a stand-alone client that could store the content on the internal storage, but Bondi Digital has the chops to make the right kind of user experience.
It’s time to render a verdict. Do you think that a HTML5 based solution is the meal ticket or is it time for Apple to loosen it’s grips on the App Store and offer some adult content? Go ahead and sound off in the comments and let your voice be heard!
