Plain and simple, Conjure fixes a problem. In fact, “simple” describes Conjure in many ways, from setup, to design, to the learning curve, to execution. Perhaps if my teachers had used this instead of a projector and a laser pointer, I would have paid more attention in class. (Well, perhaps.)

Conjure lets you take your desktop and turn it into a creative space, which works well as a teaching tool. Let’s say you’re researching Howard Hughes in American history. Just pull up any webpage on the great aviator using Conjure, and it instantly becomes a valuable teaching tool. You can now highlight, cut, copy, drag images, and even type anywhere on your Mac’s display. Conjure basically turns your desktop into a sheet of paper that can be filled with interactive information. It’s like jotting on a notepad, but better because you can include videos, photos, and links.

Conjure is great at letting you organize information, but needs a makeover.

Conjure outranks other apps that do the same thing by implementing gestures, including curriculum-specific backdrops, and letting you get things done quickly. But while the function delivers, the form could use some refining. The UI is out of date and at times looks almost sloppy.

The bottom line. In the end I liken it a lot to Windows XP. It’s not the most beautiful thing to look at, but it more than makes up for that in execution and reliability.