All of the pieces are coming together for a new magazine distribution model, and by June the shape of things to come will be obvious, predicts Folio Magazine's Josh Gordon in a breathless piece. E-readers are so prominent and becoming so cheap, people called this the "year of the e-reader" at the Consumer Electronics Show. Meanwhile, magazines like Popular Science and Sports Illustrated are already showing off their interactive versions for tablets and other devices.
But that's just the beginning — Apple is lining up publishers for digital magazine distribution via iTunes. Hearst is developing its own e-reader for its magazines. Conde Nast, Time and other publishers are developing a "Hulu for magazines." Concludes Gordon, "Magazine content, e-reader hardware, and distribution technology are all coming together. When the three are finally in place be prepared to rethink everything you know about magazines." [Folio]