Zinio.com

I'm trying out a piece of software called Zinio Reader. In short, it lets you flip through the pages of your favorite magazines just as you would in real life.

My trial did not get off to a good start. The Zinio site asked me to register two separate e-mail addresses to allow access to the demo file (a recent issue of MacWorld-US edition)! Unfortunately, the site then informed me that there was no file to download. I had to contact customer service (quick reply, even during Easter was impressive) to be able to download the magazine.

Unless you have a high spec machine, the Zinio-ed magazine pages will turn slowly and it will take a second or three extra before they come in to focus. Secondly, to be able to read the text and enjoy the full-spread effect of a magazine on your laptop you need at least a 15" or 17" screen. On my 12" iBook, I had to either constantly scroll up and down, or zoom in and out.

The people at Zinio, and the magazines that publish in this format, need to do a better job of explaining why I should want to read my favorite magz' in this manner. Mobility and access are not good enough reasons. But I do like the fact that Zinio allows me to easily archive my magazines.

I'll award Zinio Reader 2 out of 5 for having impressive customer service and for offering good publications.

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