New York Times for iPad

MacRumors points us towards the Associated Press' announcement that they're setting up a new digital unit to target "next wave of Internet-connected devices such as Apple's iPad".

The AP's iPad app could compete with offerings from some of its member newspapers, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, which also are believed to be mulling whether to sell subscriptions on the iPad to take advantage of its format. [...] The plans reflect the news media's hope — still untested — that consumers will be more willing to pay for content on the iPad and similar handheld devices than they have been on traditional computers that depend solely on Web browsers to surf the Internet.

There's no definitive word on pricing, though it's suggested it might start off free. Subscription, however, remains the goal of newspapers in order to support their news-gathering business.

Whether or not the continued talk of individual newspaper apps for the iPad, like the New York Times, means the odds for an Apple-centric solution like iBooks is diminishing is unknown.

Let us know which future you're looking forward to, diverse App Store offerings, or a unified iNews Store?