Instapaper

[Frankied22]

Wirelessly posted

Does anyone here actually use instapaper enough to justify the $4.99 price? I just don't understand the love for this app. Are people really saving we pages to read at a later time? Articles or blogs are usually so short that if I happen to come across one I want to read, I just read it. It usually only takes a minute or two.

 

[Mawal]

I use it alot:

a) it is long and a I want to read it later

b) it is somehow important to me (how to kind of posts) and I want to keep it with me, to try it out later.

Instapaper is a great app, wonderful user interface, permanently improved by its developper Marco Ament. He writes a great blog too, btw.

as for five bucks, skip starbucks for a day and you're done.

 

[blipmusic]

Wirelessly posted

Does anyone here actually use instapaper enough to justify the $4.99 price? I just don't understand the love for this app. Are people really saving we pages to read at a later time? Articles or blogs are usually so short that if I happen to come across one I want to read, I just read it. It usually only takes a minute or two.

If all you read are short blurbs sure. There is, however, a lot of content out there. Including long reads on topics I have great interest in.

Sometimes you find an article in roundabout ways when you're out and about that'd have you google the thing when you return home (or when you're at home/office, but just want to save for later, for that matter). With Instapaper I just tap "read later" and the article is saved for later - in a much better reading format to boot (the new fonts are great, IMO).

If it's a really long read the app tracks progress etc as well, so that you can continue where you left off.

I also use it for collecting everything from recipies to web design tips (move to custom folders).

So all in all, in my case it's absolutely worth the price. Also, between Readability and Instapaper, Instapaper is by far the better app for me.

[EDIT] By the way, no affiliation to the dev, just a happy customer! [/EDIT]

 

[nutmac]

If your needs are basic, such as merely saving an article to read later, Readability is probably sufficient. It has fairly attractive UI and font and does the job.

Instapaper essentially takes it to the next level, (1) offering you ways to organize articles (folders), (2) social (sharing liked articles among other Instapaper users), (3) "The Feature" (curated articles most popular among Instapaper users), (4) small UI touches like automatic dark mode (with neat sunset effect), automatic scroll mode, brightness control, accidental scroll undo, and dictionary.

 

[rhett7660]

I use it a lot! A LOT. One of my top five programs and the price is really not that big and it does everything I like. If I feel the article should be kept until I delete it, I use evernote to maintain a copy for ever.

Love this program!

 

[JoeShades]

read it later is much better

 

[iArrudaG]

Some articles are too long to read at the moment and it is great for reading offline when you don't have network.

 

[rhett7660]

read it later is much better

Why?

 

[elmo151]

got it.deleted it; didn't see the reason for its existence

 

[chipmac64]

I've been using Read It Later for a while now and it serves me purposes fine. I've just installed Readability and I'm trying to decide which one to keep. I've read a lot about Instapaper and how everyone thinks its so great but I just don't see a feature that makes it stand out from what I'm using now to make me want to try it. As for my needs for an app like this; I'll mark a bunch of articles to read later when I don't have net access since my iPad is a WIFI only model. So I'll save articles that aren't that important to read immediately for when I don't have net access during the day.