The final curtain call for the paper magazine?
Digital publishing should be great: instant access to your favourite newspapers and magazines. You can take lots of them with you, ixnay the paper bulk – and they can also use sound, video, and integrate with the internet. But does this new technology actually live up to this?
To answer try to answer this, we’ve reviewed a selection of iPad magazine Apps to see if they’re any good: (we’ll be unbiased, we promise)….
The Best Personalised iPad Magazine Apps – Reviewed!
First up, we have what are called ‘personalised magazine’ apps: These are generally free and don’t belong to any particular magazine or newspaper publisher. These programs ‘aggregate’ articles from a variety of news sites and other sources, and can be customised to your preferences.
If you’ve ever used Google Reader on your computer, then you’ll know what the ‘personalised magazine’ idea is all about.
There’s a good selection out there. We check out three of the main contenders:
The Top Three Free iPad Magazine Apps:
Flipboard: The Newspaper reader’s digital alternative
Flipboard: The Quintessential App for Keeping up to date
Cons: Content options are constantly being expanded in ‘Flipboard world’ – but at present, users with particular interests may find some of the content options a tad limited. Some articles force you view the page in a web browser – which detracts from the otherwise delightful page-flipping experience.
Overall: Good-looking, and professional: It’s a fun, free way to keep up to date.
FLUD News: A Mashable fan’s best friend
FLUD News: A Sexy and Sleek News Reader
Cons: After downloading everything is very gadget, gizmo and technology-related. Although this can be customised toward a variety of interests, it’s clearly geared toward the ‘techie’-niche – and some may find this a bit of a turn-off.
Overall: A fun and robust article browsing experience – a must for all tech fans.
Zite: Forget Web 2.0 – This is Personalisation ‘2.0’
Zite: The 'Smart' Personalised Magazine App
Cons: The continuous refining of content could feel a bit ‘Big Brother’, especially for those who like to be in full control of what they’re reading. Because everything’s tailored to your ‘sphere’ of interests, if you rely on it for everything, there is a danger of missing important news.
Overall: Your very own digitised personal magazine – impressive stuff.
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