Available in more than 50 countries, Craigslist and its classified ads are already pretty easy to browse on iPad’s large screen via the Safari browser, so I was interested to see what a dedicated Craigslist app could bring to the table. App Lifelike Craig HD — Craigslist for iPad takes all of Craigslist content and displays the ads in a good-looking newspaper-style interface.
The app will use your current location to pick your Craigslist city, but you can browse other areas from the drop-down menu in the top center of the screen. Lifelike Craig is usable in both portrait and landscape modes, and each offers its own benefits. Once you enter a Craigslist category, the corresponding listings will appear like a traditional newspaper classified page, displaying the header and first sentence or so of the ad. If an ad as an attached picture, you’ll be able to see a thumbnail image without viewing the full ad. Furniture shoppers, or those looking for an apartment, should like this feature because it makes for faster skimming of the ads, but users probably should avoid browsing the casual encounters section in public — you know why.
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Tapping an ad will take you to the full listing, and if you’re in landscape mode, the rest of the ads will remain available in a left-hand frame. One thing that’s nice in Lifelike Craig HD is its favorites interface. If you want to remember an ad, you can star it, and the app will circle the ad in red on the main listings page. This is a super useful feature for job seekers or apartment hunters who want to keep track of listings for later. From Lifelike Craig HD, you can reply to an ad or post your own, either with your Craigslist account or as a guest.
Lifelike Craig only displays classified ads on Craigslist, so there are no discussion forums available beyond Rants and Raves (another you might want to avoid on a crowded bus). The app’s load time, especially on image-heavy categories, is a bit on the slow side, so that might be a drawback for browsers in a hurry.
I really liked the features and interface that Lifelike Craig HD had to offer, and the app was a bargain with its $1.99 price tag, however, a recent price increase to $3.99 firmly places the app in the overpriced category. If developers reduced the price, Lifelike Craig HD would be more than worthy of five stars.
