It's too early to say, but the way things are heading I'd say a resounding yes. E-readers and tablets can grab new issues of magazines and charge accounts with little involvement from a user. They just turn on their device and presto! A new issue of The New Yorker is downloaded instantly without even raising a finger. It's a win-win situation for both publishers and readers. There is less overhead for the publishers, and the readers get the magazine they want on the day of publication. No longer waiting for deliveries, no longer tipping pesky paperboys. This is the wave of the future.

At first you might think that this is just the internet all over again, and the internet hasn't killed print magazines (yet).  But there is a huge difference between the internet and grabbing magazine content on different portable readers: monetization for the publisher. As everyone knows, making money off web content is diffuclt. It's not impossible, it's just not easy or simple and it takes time and patience and work. Monetization of a magazine sold via the Kindle or Nook store is instant. Readers have to subscribe in order to get access. These e-readers remove the most common problem to monetization of magazines online: the expectation that content should be free.

The internet is slowly moving away from the information should be free frame of mind to one that supports and pays artists, writers, and publishers. Websites like Netflix and Hulu are leading the way, pushing people towards a pay for content model. But the move towards this framework is slow, while there is no expectation for free with an e-reader or tablet. People expect to pay for content on these devices, since that's the de-facto standard.

More magazines should take advantage of the Kindle and the Nook and get their content online and available for download. Subscriptions on Kindle and Nook are both time consuming processes to get started, but once you've got them set up and approved the benefits are quick and powerful.  And, with more and more e-readers/tablets taking advantage of the e-pub format you can start selling your books directly from your website, easily cutting out the middle man and making more profit.

This is the future, and it looks great for both readers, writers and publishers.