iPad Apps For Magazine Lovers

Google Currents is a beautiful new entry into the collection of magazine-like apps on the iPad (and iPhone). In Currents, users can add their own blogs and news sources, or choose from the included sources that Google decided to throw in there. Once the sources are chosen, Google Currents will look and feel like a magazine that has been customized entirely by you! You decide what you want to see and read, and keep out the excess. The interface is elegant, minimal, and beautiful, which is a surprise coming from Google (not exactly known for design). When reading articles, you get a pleasant reading view that feels like an actual magazine, minus all the distracting ads. Check it out on your iPad (and iPhone).

Editions from AOL is a daily digital magazine that is completely customized for your liking each and every day. Like or dislike keywords in the magazine so that it may learn more about you and what you want to read and see. Editions pulls in articles from thousands of sources and helps you discover some amazing new stuff that you would have otherwise probably never heard about. The interface is simple and elegant, just what you'd want from a magazine. Article reading is also done very well with a simple view, and in-page scrolling. If you have an interest in getting a completely customized, smart magazine for your iPad, then get Editions from AOL.

Engadget Distro is a beautiful magazine-like way to read the best articles from Engadget. Those that love technology have probably heard of Engadget. While their site is great, it can be a bit cluttered and hard to navigate at times, especially if you just want the best content. Now, you can get the week's best articles from the site in a beautiful and elegant magazine interface. If you're a fan of Engadget and just want the crème of the crop, then make sure to have Distro on your iPad.

Before I sit down with a magazine, I like to grab a nice beverage or snack to enjoy while I read. Free, universal app Epicurious contains over 30,000 recipes from trusted magazines such as Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Self, and more. The app has won such awards as the ASME Award (National Magazine Awards for Digital Media) and Best Mobile Media (American Society of Magazine Editors). It's a worthwhile download for any iDevice owner who enjoys food magazines.

I like having one app to go to for books, one app for music, and I would also like having one app for magazines. At this point, Zinio is that one app to manage all of your magazines. Zinio allows you to read cover story articles for free each month with its selection of featured magazines. If you like what you see you can go ahead and purchase the entire issue. You can also use the Zinio shop to find other magazines and purchase single issues or subscribe. You have a library just like you do in iTunes where you can read what you have downloaded. Items may be deleted and restored at any time. The Zinio magazines are really just PDF renditions of the original magazine, nothing more. If you are looking for features that exploit the iPads unique interface then you will want to look elsewhere, but as a one-stop shop for magazines, Zinio is your choice. Some local libraries are even loaning entire magazine issues for free within the Zinio app; check with yours.

There are others out there that enjoy having one app for multiple things. Pulse is the go-to app for these magazine enthusiasts. It brings all of your favorite blogs, magazines, newspapers, and social networks into one central place for access. It includes an offline sync feature that allows you access to articles that you have already read anywhere. There are many more features available such as source syncing, news discovery, and integration with Reader!

With the blank slate of the iPad, it's great to see publishers who are interested in exploiting the unique interface of the iPad. Wired Magazine is a great example of rethinking how we interact with magazine content. With gesture support and embedded interactive elements Wired is a joy to read and use. The biggest downside to all of the iPad magazines is the expense and Wired is no exception at $4.99 per issue. However, I want to give Wired credit for its innovative design in a space where simple PDF copies are so prevalent.

Bloomberg for iPad is much more than a news source and place to read articles. With personal stock quotes and the latest information on the markets, it is a must have tool for financial gurus. Bloomberg makes this AppList, though, due to its extensive news articles affecting finance around the globe. Categories can be arranged to show topics and countries that interest you most. Its free price and features make this app a must for the economy conscious iPad owner.

TIME Magazine should be one of those signature magazine apps for the iPad, but unfortunately it isn't. Don't get me wrong, the content is great, but the business strategy needs work. As with many of these magazine apps each issue is a $4.99 download, which is substantially more expensive than the print edition. US print subscribers can get the digital issues for free, but this is not helpful for subscribers outside of the US. However, I am including it in this AppList due to its free featured articles within the app. A generous collection of articles is available for free in the areas of Politics, Business, Science, and World. Digital subscriptions are reportedly coming later and will hopefully bring more more competitive prices.

Rolling Stone Magazine has been one of the biggest titles out there in the magazine world for years. Finally, it is being offered for the iPad! If breaking new music and movie reviews are your thing, then this is the magazine for you. Subscription options vary between monthly and yearly. You can also skip the subs and opt to buy it by the issue. Unfortunately, the annual subscription price for the digital is the same as the printed copies and the navigation can seem kind of wacky at times.

If you are a current PEOPLE Magazine reader and subscriber to the print edition, then the iPad edition is a must have. Kudos to PEOPLE for getting something right in this space of digital magazines, which is that current subscribers get access to the iPad version for free. However, the downside is that sole digital subscriptions are not available. So if you want to go iPad-only for your PEOPLE reading, you have to purchase each issue for $3.99 or choose to subscribe to the print edition and toss it into the recycle bin week.

The ESPN Magazine app provides the right balance between price and content for sports fans. If you are already an ESPN Insider member you not only get access to the web content at ESPN.com but also the iPad edition of ESPN magazine. Additionally, this is not just a PDF replication of the magazine. It includes videos as well as a limited number of ads. A digital subscription option is available in 6 month increments, or you can just become an ESPN Insider member.

While Flipboard is not a traditional magazine app, it does allow you to create a personalized magazine based on RSS subscriptions, Twitter feeds, and Facebook. The interface is a delight to use and makes your favorite content come alive as if it were a professionally typeset magazine. You can set up a page for Wired Magazine or the Onion right alongside your personalized Twitter feed. It really is your personalized social magazine.

This women's magazine aggregator is not a magazine, per se. Rather, it offers access to a couple dozen popular magazines' websites. Sure, you could go to each individual website, Cosmo, People, OK!, Glamour, etc., and get the same content for free. But iMagazines offers them all in one place, albeit without the slick beauty some of the other apps offer. This app is universal, so whether you're on your iPhone or your iPad, you can get your magazine fix. There are no subscription fees, as you are only getting the content offered for free on the internet anyway. In addition to the magazines, there is also a page that aggregates news from a large variety of sources like CNN, The New York Times, BBC, and more. It's a worthwhile download if you frequent these websites and don't mind spending a buck for the convenience of having them all together.

Is it a magazine? Is it a news aggregator? It's a bit of both, and it's fabulous. Create your own clickable sections for a custom design. Give each article you read a thumbs up or thumbs down to see more or less from that source. Get the best from around the web, tailored to your own personal interests and tastes. It's totally free, with no subscription fees, and belongs on everyone's iPad.

This free, universal app offers a generous blend of free content and paid subscription material. There is certainly plenty to read without spending a penny, from articles to celebrity blogs to news aggregation. If you already subscribe to the print edition, you'll get the iPad subscription for free. If you're not interested in the print edition but want to subscribe, you can buy individual issues for $4.99 or buy a full year for $21.99. This definitely a worthwhile free download.

This app allow you to experience the full Entertainment Weekly each week on your iPad, as long as you buy each issue (subscribers get it for free). You can easily stay on top of all of your entertainment news, from movies, television, music, books, and more. The downloads of each issue are fast, and you can read while it downloads. Also, the ability to select what you want to read first is included, making the experience a whole lot easier for the readers. Videos and the ability to purchase books, music, movies, and apps within this app are a nice bonus. The only major downside is that it is still not Retina-quality. You won't notice this on an original iPad, iPad 2, or iPad mini; but reading the articles is a blurry disappointment on the newer Retina displays. Check it out on your iPad if you're into the showbiz scene!

We've talked about news, technology, and even sports magazines. Let's delve into the medical world for a bit, shall we? Whether you're a health nut or a paranoid parent, like me, WebMD the Magazine is ideal to have on your iPad at all times. Let this digital subscription steer you onto the right track towards a healthy lifestyle. Its monthly content includes celebrity interviews, nutritious recipes, exercises, skin care solutions, and even parenting tips. For free, you really are getting a steal!

This AppList would not be complete if we were to leave out Macworld Digital Magazine. This title is the largest Apple-focused magazine in the world. You are guaranteed to get Mac news and reviews in every issue. Single issues are available for purchase for $6.99 while a monthly subscription is only $1.99 a month. App Support also provides details on how to integrate for the existing print subscribers.

Now if all of these apps are not enough to feed your magazine addiction, then Next Issue may be the app for you. This app offers a ton of major U.S. magazine titles in one place. Just create an account and try a subscription free for 30 days. Get access to at least 50 titles such as Esquire and Vanity Fair for just $9.99 a month. Upgrade to a premium subscription and get access to much more for just $14.99 a month. While this may end up getting costly, it surely is quite the savings for someone that ends up buying individual issues of each title.