Penzu Journal App Arrives

A new app has arrived that makes journaling across multiple platforms easier than ever. Penzu is available now for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. Ever since the iPad arrived in 2010, its use as a journal has been one of its strongest selling points. Today, countless journal apps exist, some a lot better than others. The latest such app to call the App Store home, Penzu, is for those users that want an all-in-one solution. In other words, journals that are available on both iDevices and desktops. Penzu, the universal app, offers basic writing capabilities. As such, it can be used as a notepad, journal and/or diary. Each journal – and yes, you can add as many as you want – is easy to lock so wondering eyes cannot see your private thoughts. In addition, the app allows the adding of images into entries. On the downside, the app isn’t all that customizable. For example, enjoy writing your thoughts on blue-lined paper because that is the only paper you get. Penzu’s strength is when you purchase an $19 per year “Pro” pack. Then, you can sync your journals across iDevices as well as access them from the http://penzu.com website. Through here, you can also customize your journal entries by adding different fonts, colors and yes, different backgrounds. Unfortunately, none of these changes carry over to the iOS app. Hopefully, future updates will get this right. We’ve been using the Penzu website for a while now and find it notable. Equally so, we’re thrilled that the service has finally arrived for iDevices too. Yet, so far, we’re underwhelmed. Until the Penzu app gains some or all of the tools that make the Penzu website great, we cannot recommend it for new users. Plus, charging $19 for complete integration PER YEAR seems a bit steep too. Penzu is available now in the App Store.

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