App Review #1: Blogsy for iPad

Got an iPad? Love blogging? Get Blogsy NOW!

Seriously. The only blogging app I can think of that might be better than Blogsy is the Live Writer for Windows. Still, most blogs need to be written on the go, so Blogsy still wins because it runs on iPads and is therefore more portable.

More about Blogsy after the jump.

First of all, Blogsy costs $4.99, so the first question on everyone's minds is, is it worth it?

The short answer is YES. The long one is, well, read on.

Blogsy supports Blogger and Wordpress blogs, which covers about 90% of blogs.

It has a built-in browser, youtube client, picasa client, flickr client, and google image search. This means you don't have to leave the app to get the image, video, OR INFORMATION you need.

Initially, I thought the app was a little confusing. In fact, I couldn't type at the designated area! I soon learned that to be able to type, you need to swipe left or right first, because the default screen is the "rich screen", a screen used to add media or generally format the blog post. Swiping takes you to the "write screen" where you can type text or html codes.

Sounds confusing? Not at all. Included in the app are a series of tutorial videos accessed via the built-in YouTube player. After watching just the first video, I was ready to blog away!

It supports drag-and-drop gestures. This process makes blogging really simple. Type in the center of your screen, switch back to the rich screen, search or browse images and videos on the right, and drag these media onto the body to add them.

You can also copy information from websites, and properly cite them by hyperlinking their URL, all via drag and drop!

For wordpress bloggers, the app also remembers photos uploaded to its media server so it would seem like you have local versions (at least bookmarks) of photos you upload. I haven't tried it yet, though, but it sounds really convenient.

Finally, yes the iPad is portable and easy to use on the go, but is it easy blogging on a gadget without a keyboard?

First answer, you can always use an equally portable bluetooth keyboard.

Second answer, well, yes. I'm doing it right now. That's right. This entire blog post is being written using Blogsy. And my future posts will be, too, especially reviews of outdoor stuff such as events and food.

If there was one thing missing, though, it's attaching an image and wrapping text around it. But I don't use it too often so it's not too big of a deal. Besides, one can start blogging here and update using the web interface via the built-in browser, so it still works! :)

Maybe not everyone will like this app, but I absolutely love it, and I thank it for bringing back my blogging passion.

In short, thanks to Blogsy, you'll definitely be hearing more from me. :)

Who will like it:

1. People who like blogging. Even when not on the go. I'm at home right beside my computer but I choose to blog using Blogsy.
2. Bloggers who like attaching images and videos to their posts.
3. People who like to share experiences and comment on them. This app makes it easier to get your first impressions.
4. Bloggers who do their research while blogging. The built-in browser is really, really handy.

Who won't:

1. People who don't have iPads.
2. People who don't blog.
3. People who don't want to spend $4.99 for an awesome app