picomag Review

Print media might be supposedly dying out, but that doesn't stop many from appreciating the format in which such content can be viewed. That explains why digital magazines are still popular, and why apps like Picomag exist.

The app is a very simple tool to set up for the iPad, allowing users to browse various content from websites in a similar manner to how they would read a newspaper or magazine. Using a series of columns, one can arrange up to three sites or articles on screen at the same time. It doesn't require any signing up and keeps things basic, focusing on the content within.

Essentially, Picomag is handy for those in a rush. For instance, it's possible to set up a number of news websites to work together, making it easy to see at a glance what's going on in the world. Similarly, social networking sites can be arranged in the same fashion.

It's possible to set up numerous 'pages' within the magazine, thereby giving users the choice of dividing things up according to category. One could have a page devoted to work based research, while being able to quickly switch to sports results or celebrity gossip. There is a slight downside though. This basically makes Picomag a kind of tabbing interface for information; arguably something that a web browser already offers.

It's quite satisfying to set up Picomag, especially when devising images and titles for the 'front page' of such a virtual magazine, but ultimately this is a fancy, more focused web browser. Still, for $0.99 it's a handy organizational tool for those keen to arrange their reading material more efficiently. Just don't expect it to be overly revolutionary.