Oct 3, 2011
iPad App Review
This iPad App review is another one of those things I write about just because I think it’s extremely well done and it’s subject matter touches me in a special way. In other words, this app is just very cool. I love it. If you’re a fan of the Gear Patrol Website, you know that they cater to a certain class of individuals who appreciate some of the finer things in life. The website is great, but the iPad App is incredible. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not technically brilliant, it’s just a great magazine delivered in a way that takes advantage of the medium the iPad offers.
Overall Impression:
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Gear Patrol Magazine
The magazine cover uses subtle animation to make the already impressive photography grab your attention. One of the main reasons I love this app is because they do take advantage of the medium the iPad offered. The cover picture rotates between several images (one cooler than the next) as you flip back and forth between articles and the cover/table of contents.
From the front cover, you can flip to anywhere in the magazine. The navigation is quite good, using a combination of text and images to help the reader get to the goodies.
- Contents, as you might image is a table of contents
- Features, highlights
- Briefings are text based articles that are timely and interesting
- Viewfinder pulls video into the app in a meaningful way. Right now, I’m watching someone experience zero gravity during a BASE jump.
- Obsessions are what you might imagine - gear ranging from boots to a classic Ferrari photographed in a way that can even make an old pair of work boots become an object of obsession.
Things I really liked
- Attention to Detail
- Fit and Finish
- Depth of Coverage
- Touches of delightfulness that are difficult to quantify, but you know em when you see em!
Things I think are missing or that could be done better
- I’m hard pressed to suggest anything here. Let’s just say this is a perfect example of what a digital magazine can be.
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Delightful:
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Integration:
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Meets Objective:
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