Thomson Reuters Marketboard initially appears to be the most attractive stock market app for iPad by far, with an alluring main page featuring a brief look at worldwide markets and images of top international news stories.

However, after digging deeper into the app, we found it to be a less detailed and comprehensive option than Bloomberg or StockWatch, as you're unable to track your own investment details or view as much long-term data on stock performance. Though you can select stocks and other investments to keep an eye on through the app's dashboard, each page offers little more than basic quote info and a collection of press releases -- hardly as useful as external reports from analysts and journalistic sources. We continually noticed an odd bug that blurred some of the text in landscape view, as well.

Marketboard's main page impresses with a clean aesthetic.

Marketboard's big standout feature at this time is the ability to preview and purchase transcripts from a wide variety of corporate calls and conferences, but the going rate for these is $49.99 apiece, and the app feels like it was designed around this money-making ability.

Sadly, the app's inner workings are bit more vapid than hoped.

Here's hoping Thomson Reuters takes the opportunity to fill in the gaps and make this potential competitor more than just a pretty face.

Thomson Reuters Marketboard 1.1
COMPANY: Thomson Reuters
CONTACT: www.thomsonreuters.com
PRICE: Free
REQUIREMENTS: iPad
Ability to preview and purchase a wide variety of transcripts from corporate calls and conferences.
Less detailed than other apps of its kind; appealing in-app features are expensive.