Slate Magazine Hits The iPad, Simple And Elegant Is The Name Of The Game
by Joe White
August 14, 2010
If you're a fan of the online magazine, Slate, then you're in for a treat: the web-mag has finally made its iPad debut, and is available in the App Store now for free!
The application features all the content of the site itself, including videos and podcasts - which are easy to access and play within the app. Users can read content by swiping down to scroll through, and across to switch articles, meaning that it's incredibly easy to fully interact with everything Slate has to offer.
A helpful navigation bar which runs along the top of the app also enhances user interaction with the magazine. The Slatest, Video, and Podcasts accompany a New drop-down menu, that houses the sections of the site (Home, Politics, Arts etc.). Selecting a section filters the content, displaying around fifteen section-specific articles for the reader to peruse. Navigating back to Home can be done with a touch.
Every so often, users are reminded that Slate is free for a reason - and that reason is Marriott Hotels (the sponsor of Slate's app). Ads occasionally jump onto the screen, which does taint the experience. And, sadly, this is as inescapable as it is annoying: Slate offers no paid, ad-free version of its application, which is a shame.
Yet, the good outweighs the bad: users can enjoy a whole load of Slate before being confronted with a Marriott ad, so fret not. And, the application is free, don't forget - so you'd be silly not to take a quick look at it. Slate for iPad is available in the App Store now - so be sure to download it and let us know what you think in the comments box below!
