The iPad is just about perfect for reading magazines; surprising, then, that more publishers haven’t come out with iPad-specific apps, right? Thankfully, publishers seem to be catching on, and last week saw two tricked-out versions of women’s magazines debut as apps on the iPad.
VIVmag, an all-digital women’s mag that was one the first (if not the first) magazines to publish an iPad-specific issue, just released an iPad app that complements the Zinio-powered and web editions of the magazine that’ve been available up to this point. The app includes nifty features like videos, quizzes, “mix–and-match elements,” and ads that function as shopping gateways. Marie Claire’s Fall Fashion A-Z app also sports videos and a “click-to-buy fashion” function, and adds a cool feature that lets users digitally apply cosmetics to a test model.
VIVmag’s app is free for a very limited preview, which becomes a single full-issue preview upon free registration; further issues need to be bought (though downloading the app gives an automatic 20 percent subscription discount). The Marie Claire app is, simply, $3.
When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of Wired.com and BIKE Magazine, among others. Hang with him on Twitter.
