Review: Compare & Contrast
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2012
I subscribed to Bon Appetit for Kindle Fire. Opened the Newsstand each month to find the new issue automatically available. As with other digital magazines, you peruse in 'page' view, then switch to 'text' view when an article catches your fancy. Crisp, clear, with all the same stories just as they appear in the physical magazine. Not a perfect thing, the digital magazine, but nice.But the Bon Appetit digital-app version is something else entirely. I have both the digital newsstand and digital-app versions of the April 2012 issue (sticky buns!), and all the same stories and articles are offered.The digital-app version is not a direct, scan-like copy of the magazine, though. It is equally beautiful, but far more photo-centric with interactivity.Video that might be included in an issue is not dependent on WiFi for viewing once the magazine is on your Fire. In this particular issue, I definitely learned something from the video in a way I probably would have missed if it hadn't been included. Also, instead of swiping through to find the recipe as one would with the virtual or physical magazine, there are small pop-ups on the photos with sidebar info, and links to take you directly to the recipe. From there you might choose the option of viewing the recipe in step-by-step form. You can easily save or share recipes, too, if you're a fan of "clipping" recipes.And the photos are gorgeous, as we've come to expect from Bon Appetit. It's the way all digital magazines should (and will) operate. As a bonus, it doesn't cost any more than the original magazine.What I don't like? Not a big deal, but the magazine presents as an app on the front screen rather than appearing in the Fire Newsstand. When the new issue arrives, it downloads into your Fire (as with the digital magazine), but it is a heavier load than the original digital version and takes time to download. It also takes time for the magazine to open when you're itching to browse. Not an unreasonable amount of time, but not instant-on, either. Finally, if you keep all your books, music, maybe video and movies on the Kindle Fire, you might encounter a space problem. I don't, so it wasn't a problem to load this magazine. When I'm done with it, I'll remove it from the Fire, but it will continue to be available for me at Amazon for future reference and I'll continue to enjoy the clippings I saved.Previously, I simply breezed through the physical and digital Bon Appetit. Now I return to the issue repeatedly to enjoy, be actively engaged in and spurred into imagination by it. Love it.