How to Get Around the NY Post's iPad Paywall

Newspapers have a long history of fighting against the web, starting with the registration walls from the early web, and most recently, the paywalls that allow only a limited number of free viewings for newspapers like the New York Times. And it may be these very actions that have newspapers pressed against the brink of extinction. Instead of embracing new technology, they've struggled against it, and we just have to ask Blockbuster what happens to companies that struggle against new technology.

But in fighting against the web, the New York Post has taken it to a new level. They have erected a paywall specifically targeted at iPad users.

A paywall is a mechanism for detecting if the user is a registered (subscribing) customer and, if not, redirecting to a page that allows the user to register. You can think of it as the website putting out their hand and waiting for payment.

Paywalls are not new, but targeting a specific browser or specific device is. And not only that, it is potentially damaging to the web as a whole. Next up: All Mac users can pay an extra fee, or all Firefox users are hit by a paywall.

So how do you get around NY Post's iPad Paywall without paying?

Every browser has a distinct signature, and the NY Post's paywall looks for the signature of Safari on the iPad. If you want an easy way to get around the NY Post's iPad paywall, simply use an alternative browser.

iChromy is an excellent choice. Not only is it free, it is also a very good browser with a user interface that mimics the Chrome browser.

Opera Mini is another great choice. It is also free and it is one of the fastest browsers available. However, you will be stuck with the mobile version of many websites, and not all websites allow you to switch back to the full version. (But, on the flipside, this makes the website load up even faster.)

Both of these web browsers will let you get around the NY Post's new paywall, though my recommendation is to simply get your news from other sources.

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