Only nine days after launching its iPad edition, Wired has sold 79,000 copies – just
shy of the print average of 80,000. Partial thanks go to Steve Jobs, who
projected the cover of Wired‘s
iPad magazine onstage while unveiling iPhone 4.

Wired editor Chris Anderson tweeted a photo, adding that he could “die happy now.” 

Both the print and iPad edition retail for US$4.99.

Editors’ Weblog reports:

“While these numbers are all very exciting for the news industry, others have approached them with some well-timed skepticism. Niraj Chokshi of The Atlantic points out that “all of these numbers are very preliminary” and that ad values of the iPad could diminish “as the iPad’s novelty wears off and, presumably, as users become more accustomed to seeing – and ignoring – the ads.” Indeed, considering that these numbers could be more a reflection of the hype surrounding the iPad than the viability of an iPad magazine, it is really too soon to tell if Wired‘s brand of iPad news is the future or not.”

The post continues:

“Yet, the numbers that Wired is reporting are astonishing. Therefore, perhaps it is safe to assume that Condé Nast could astonish again? Wired’s numbers suggest its brand of iPad news could be a truly viable way to report news in the future while making significant advertising revenue and avoiding the problems of information sharing online.”