Instapaper (for iPad)

The Instapaper 4.2.2 ($4.99) bills itself as "a simple tool to save Web pages for reading later." That is an apt description, as it lets anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?and a serious Web browsing habit?save Web articles and read them offline, or at a more convenient time. The latest version features a number of additions since the app's 2010 debut, fixing many of the issues we had with the app's initial release.

How It Works
When Instapaper first launched, you had to first register at Instapaper.com, as you couldn't create an account from within the app. No more. Instapaper now lets you sign up for an account from within the app, which makes it feel like a true standalone piece of software instead of an extension of the website.

Tapping the Web icon opens an address bar in which you can key in an URL. I like that I could do this within Instapaper and not in Safari; Pocket (free, 4 stars), Instapaper's rival "read it later" app, requires you to install a bookmarklet into mobile Safari which has a somewhat confusing setup. When you come across a webpage of note, you simply tap "Read Later" in the upper-right corner of the screen to bookmark the page. Saved sites synced to the Web version of Instapaper nearly instantaneously, but, curiously, I couldn't save a few top-level domains, only their individual pages.

There's also an applet that you can drag onto your computer's Web browser. This will add a "Read Later" option to your bookmark list. From that point on, any time you visit a Web page, or even see a headline in Google Reader, you can Click Read later to send it to Instapaper.

You can view all of your saved pages by tapping the "Read Later" icon. The links are presented in a grid that features the articles title and the first few lines of text. Tapping a square opens a stripped down version of the story with just text and images, but you can use the "Open in Browser" option to see the real deal. As with Pocket, Instapaper lets you can read these articles without a wireless connection?this makes Instapaper ideal for commuting home on the subway, or any scenario where you would be unable to connect to the Web. You can also read your Instapaper collection on the Web using any browser, but of course, that requires an Internet connection. Once you have read an article, you can move it to your archive. The app will store up to 500 articles.

Unfortunately, you need to shell out additional money to search article text: $2.99 for a 3 month subscription, $5.99 for a 6 month subscription, and $11.99 for a 1 year subscription. Frankly, this comes off as a bit of a nickel-and-dime as I've already dropped $5 on the app?search should be included at no extra charge. Still, it's not huge ding as most users won't need the feature.

Extras
Instapaper serves up numerous sharing options. You can fire off links to others via email, Evernote, Facebook, Pinboard, Tumblr, and Twitter. You can also sign into any of those services to find friends who've liked articles on Instapaper. I liked this, as I was able to check out articles from people with similar interests. Pocket lacks this social element.

Instapaper also has a section called "The Feature," editorial selections from the best articles saved to Instapaper. The stories came from outlets such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, and other high-profile and popular outlets.

The Wrap on Instapaper
Instapaper represents everything I love about software?it's a simple, elegant solution to a universal problem. It isn't as real-time or interactive as Flipboard?(Free, 4.5 stars), but that's because it's designed for offline reading (in fact, you can use Instapaper to save Flipboard articles). To be clear, if you aren't the type of person who finds the Web filled with curious stories that you would read if you just had a little more time, Instapaper isn't for you. For me, however, Instapaper is an essential app; its overall usefulness makes it an Editors' Choice award winner, and a must-download for any iPad owner.

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