The Washington Post is one of the most significant news sources in the world, and now it’s available on the iPad. Even though you can download it free, and try it for a few months, after the trial period, you’ll need to cough up a monthly fee. While the app is polished and intuitive, there are some missing features that might turn away some readers.
You’ll first need to create a washingtonpost.com account in order to use the app. Not only do you need to provide an email address, but also a screen name that is viewable to others. It is unclear if others will be able to find out what articles you’re reading. Regardless, after you’ve registered, you can try out the application for a trial period before you’ll need to start paying a monthly fee. During the trial period, you have full access to all the features the app has to offer. However, you’ll need to put up with a banner of ads while you read. For some strange reason, if you try to read articles in landscape mode, even more ads will show up. This is definitely irritating, and takes away from the whole experience.
Aside from the ads, the articles are presented nicely, first displaying an excerpt, then the whole story. Swiping left or right will navigate between different sections of the Post, while swiping vertically will scroll through all the articles. Photos may be tapped on for a full-screen view, or as a gallery of multiple shots. There are also occasional videos that may be played full-screen, as well. Each story can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter. You can also increase or decrease the text size for any article.
Some missing features, such as crossword puzzles, might disappoint some readers. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any technology news section. With these missing features and the annoying landscape mode saturated with ads, The Washington Post is almost a great app. With some improvements, this could absolutely be your go-to app for news.
