Zinio's multiplatform reader -- which lets you download digital magazines and view them on numerous devices, including iPhone and Mac -- expands to iPad in a stellar app, delivering hundreds of top publications with single issue and subscription purchases. At launch, the Zinio app displayed a few frustrating stumbles, including slow-loading pages and blurry text when zooming. Luckily, numerous post-release updates have largely addressed these quibbles, making for a worthwhile reading experience on the iPad.
Full-page scans look great on the iPad, though you can double-tap to zoom.
Pre-loaded with a handful of notable rags (including Car and Driver and SPIN), Zinio puts a massive marketplace of publications in your hands, letting you browse and purchase the likes of National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Maxim, and other popular reads, with subscription prices typically at or below print levels; a year of Esquire is just $8.00, for example. As for the reader itself, the high-resolution scans pop off the iPad screen, and while you'll still occasionally see a fuzzy image at first while swapping pages, the reading experience is generally pretty impressive.
The Featured Articles menu shows a taste of some of the top new issues.
We've yet to see any magazines replicate the video-heavy reading demo the company touted before release, but after some serious tweaks, Zinio for iPad has become an excellent way to read and follow your favorite magazines.
Zinio Magazine Newsstand & Reader 1.4
COMPANY: Zinio LLC
CONTACT: www.zinio.com
PRICE: Free
REQUIREMENTS: iPad
Many notable publications in one place. Impressive reading experience.
Occasional fuzzy images.
