El Pais has come a long way from once being a fully paid-for subscription site. Now, after opening up to all readers as of May 2005, it has launched a constantly updated Internet supplement that can be downloaded in PDF format and printed by the reader.

The publication, entitled 24 Horas, is not only an attempt to bring readers to El Pais' website which is dominated by that of El Mundo, but also to compete with Spain's rapidly growing and popular free paper market. By being able to download and print the paper before their morning commute, readers may opt to read articles from El Pais in 24 Horas rather than the shortened wire stories and local coverage printed in free papers.

The PDF/print option could, however, soon be outdated if epapers are to gain popularity among consumers. Instead of printing it out, readers could simply download 24 Horas onto their tablets. Still, the print option is a good one as newspapers need to pander to as many interests as possible; many readers may never purchase an epaper device.

El Mundo which owns the world's most popular Spanish-language news site, is following some American papers in integrating Google Maps onto its webpages. The paper has allowed Google access to its database of restaurants along with reviews and related news so that it can partner them with the map service.

Sources: El Pais, El Mundo (both in Spanish)