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King Features releases iPad version of DailyINK

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Alan Gardner December 21, 2010 1 minute 1 comment

Last week King Features Syndicate released an iPhone, iPod Touch app for their DailyINK subscription service. Today, they’ve released the iPad version of the same app.

The app, technically is a single app that runs in both small screens (iPhone) and larger screens (iPad) – so if you have an iPad and downloaded it last week, you only need to update the app to get the full experience.

What I like:
Adding, removing comics to my subscription is very simple. Simply touch the “+” button next to the ones I want to add and the “-” I want to remove and done. My options are renewed instantly.

When browsing through all the feature’s samples, description, etc., the app knows which ones I’ve already subscribed to (or not). If I want to add one to my list, a button is available without having to go back out to my subscriptions page.

If I want to read an earlier strip, I simply tap and drag to the right and the current strip slides off the page and the next one downloads. You can also jump to a calendar date and move forward in time the same way.

Like the iPhone version, if you want to see zoom into the comic to see a large version, just double tap the comic and it zooms up (when in portrait mode) and automatically moves to the beginning of the strip. In landscape mode, the comic spans the full width of the device’s screen.

Just one thing that I hope they’ll improve in a future release. When reading my subscriptions, each comic is placed in a white background that has a fixed height – sufficient for horizontal strips – but when taller features (panels and editorial cartoons) are displayed, they are shrunk to the height of the comic strips. At this height they’re illegible. I can touch the comic and a larger version is brought up, but that’s one more action that shouldn’t be necessary if the height of the comic wasn’t set so small. I found myself removing most of the editorial cartoons and panels from my subscription because it was like hitting a speed bump on an otherwise smooth ride.

Okay – one more thing. If I find comic that I love, I want to be able to share it on Twitter or Facebook – not necessary post the comic – just a link to it so others can see it. Such a feature helps comics go viral, but I’m sure to offer that, King would have to open their comics up a bit – something they’ve been reticent to do.

The app is a free download. If you have a DailyINK subscription and an iPod, it’s the preferred way to go. Like I mentioned last week, the iPhone/iPod Touch version is really good too.