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News app vs Zite/Flipboard

F

frex

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 31, 2010
36
25
Germany
Not sure how you guys feel about the news app in beta 3, but I, as a long time Zite/Flipboard user, am quite disappointed at it with :
  • UI: the article list/overview looks quite cluttered
  • UX: the source list in explore tab seems to limit to top five for each category, and you can only get more by search
  • Content selection: the algorithm (or human editor) seems not performing well, you may see unrelated articles or repeated trivial posts from one single source which I never heard or selected, and headline images looks unimpressive if not odd sometimes.
  • UI Localization: at least for Simplified Chinese, the translation is not really good/publisher quality.

Compared to Zite, an app haven't been updated for more than a year, News.app is so much behind the game. It feels like the Map.app thing all over again.
 
frex said:
Not sure how you guys feel about the news app in beta 3, but I, as a long time Zite/Flipboard user, am quite disappointed at it with :
  • UI: the article list/overview looks quite cluttered
  • UX: the source list in explore tab seems to limit to top five for each category, and you can only get more by search
  • Content selection: the algorithm (or human editor) seems not performing well, you may see unrelated articles or repeated trivial posts from one single source which I never heard or selected, and headline images looks unimpressive if not odd sometimes.
  • UI Localization: at least for Simplified Chinese, the translation is not really good/publisher quality.

Compared to Zite, an app haven't been updated for more than a year, News.app is so much behind the game. It feels like the Map.app thing all over again.
Click to expand...
I used to use both, but Zite's dead now for further development and Flipboard takes too much work IMHO. I've tried out the News app, and it seems to me to be going down the same design/navigational path as Flipboard. I'm sticking with Feedly/Newsify/Instapaer for now as I'm too lazy to switch but will check in with the News app for the next few months.

I find a bit of humor that Apple might be Sherlocking one of its former engineers again...
 
I'm using News instead of Flipboard now, but I rarely used Flipboard to begin with, so Im only doing it to have one less app installed.
 
perezr10 said:
It seems alot more like Newsify...
Click to expand...
Yes, it does. But without the features set. And customizable settings. And multiple feed sources. And built-in sync capabilities. And iOS Share Sheets tie-in. And extensibility via share services. Hmm, so, not really (to me).

Looking forward to using both, tho'.
 
Flipboard has news feed options for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

That alone may be why I can never switch to News.app. And its a shame because Apple did a good enough job with the app but I just don't see them allowing social networking into their app
 
moomanjohnny said:
Remember, it's just a beta. Things will change.
Click to expand...

Performance will improve, but the app isn't likely to change that much. When is the last time you've seen a secondary app by apple change drastically from beta to release? They typically use dev beta to squish bugs and that's it.
 
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HighTechToid said:
Performance will improve, but the app isn't likely to change that much. When is the last time you've seen a secondary app by apple change drastically from beta to release? They typically use dev beta to squish bugs and that's it.
Click to expand...
It's brand new. I wouldn't worry so much about it. I've been using it (pretty heavily) since yesterday and while it is going to take time for it to "learn" my interests and tailor stories for me, I'm okay with that. I did the same with Zite and Flipboard.

I'm sure it'll be much better in the future.
 
It took a solid day, but after going through the options and unsubscribing from ESPN, it stopped showing me stories from them (finally!).
 
I like the idea of the app, but why does it show content from hours and hours ago? I want up to the minute updates. Plus add social feeds as well and it will replace feedly, pocket and flipboard for me.
 
nerdriot said:
It took a solid day, but after going through the options and unsubscribing from ESPN, it stopped showing me stories from them (finally!).
Click to expand...
I had to do that to still getting them though. What I hate is it subscribed me to ESPN even though the only thing I picked when I first started the App was Science and Tech stuff. For some reason I guess they think everyone wants ESPN and gossip.
 
I would like them to incorporate Facebook,Twitter and Instagram into this thing.
 
UK does not have the new app yet, so Im sticking with Zite, which works fine in PB1
 
Last edited:
nerdriot said:
It's brand new. I wouldn't worry so much about it. I've been using it (pretty heavily) since yesterday and while it is going to take time for it to "learn" my interests and tailor stories for me, I'm okay with that. I did the same with Zite and Flipboard.

I'm sure it'll be much better in the future.
Click to expand...

That's what we've all been saying about the Podcast app and we're still waiting.
 
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I first setup news on my iPad and hoped with the iCloud setting on I would be done with my iPhone. I thought they should update each other. Today...it happened. My phone now mirrors my iPad and it's preferences.
 
I hit my proverbial brick wall when I tried to save an article to Instapaper, and when I opened Instapaper, I got a "this article can be only read in News app" message. So in order to send an article to Instapaper from News, I have to first open it in Safari, then save it from there. Complete fail. And News app has no font options, either, which is why I want to send articles to Instapaper.

Ah, well. Back to 8.4.
 
frex said:
Not sure how you guys feel about the news app in beta 3, but I, as a long time Zite/Flipboard user, am quite disappointed at it with :
  • UI: the article list/overview looks quite cluttered
  • UX: the source list in explore tab seems to limit to top five for each category, and you can only get more by search
  • Content selection: the algorithm (or human editor) seems not performing well, you may see unrelated articles or repeated trivial posts from one single source which I never heard or selected, and headline images looks unimpressive if not odd sometimes.
  • UI Localization: at least for Simplified Chinese, the translation is not really good/publisher quality.

Compared to Zite, an app haven't been updated for more than a year, News.app is so much behind the game. It feels like the Map.app thing all over again.
Click to expand...

I agree, but it's still in beta. So we will have to wait to see how it evolves. Apple will hopefully be adding features and improving the algorithms as the beta releases continue.

I have constantly been looking for an app which lets me add only the sources that I am interested in, and shows me only those articles. I am currently using Feedly, and I'm not sure if others are using an app that would allow me to better do what I suggest above.

I agree that in its current iteration, the news app seems to suggest articles from sources that you have not suggested, but it's early in the process, so lets give it some time.
 
docal97 said:
I agree that in its current iteration, the news app seems to suggest articles from sources that you have not suggested, but it's early in the process, so lets give it some time.
Click to expand...

I doubt that aspect will change. Suggesting articles from unknown sources so users can discover new sources they might be interested is considered a desirable feature, just as Apple Music tries to introduce users to new Music they haven't tried yet.

If you only want articles from specific sources, what you need is an RSS reader. Feedly is one of the better known apps for that, but there are others. You should search the App Store for RSS readers and pick one that appeals to you. Personally, I like this app called Unread for having the best layout I've seen, but it's not an universal app, so you have to buy it twice if you want to use it on both iPad and iPhone.
 
Night Spring said:
I doubt that aspect will change. Suggesting articles from unknown sources so users can discover new sources they might be interested is considered a desirable feature, just as Apple Music tries to introduce users to new Music they haven't tried yet.

If you only want articles from specific sources, what you need is an RSS reader. Feedly is one of the better known apps for that, but there are others. You should search the App Store for RSS readers and pick one that appeals to you. Personally, I like this app called Unread for having the best layout I've seen, but it's not an universal app, so you have to buy it twice if you want to use it on both iPad and iPhone.
Click to expand...

Understood. The point is that the App asks you to select sources and interests when you initially configure it, then provides sources that you did not select, as another poster mentions in this thread.

With regards to alternative apps, I know that I can look in the app store, and have done so many times. But since the topic came up within this thread, I was wondering what other people have found that fits a similar need/desire.
 
Since the News App is a pre installed app made by Apple when it goes live in the fall is the app run electronically or is it literally run by Apple employees who keep the news constantly updated on your feeds? Sorry I have no idea how this works.
 
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