The iPad has already been touted as the the device that will change how people consume print media. Newspapers and magazine content could be delivered instantly to the iPad, keeping their original format. But do you know the iPad is also the coolest way to read comics and manga?
Marvel already has their Marvel Comics app optimized for the iPad. When users launch the app, they will be taken to the Marvel Comics Store where they can purchase and download comics for approximately $1.99 per issue.
There are free comics available to download on Marvel’s in-app store. Currently issue #1 of the Invincible Iron Man and 9 other comics are available to download free of charge. Before users can download Marvel comics, they must first register. After signing up and verifying their addresses, users can finally start to download and read their comics on the iPad.
The actual comics are displayed utilizing the maximum screen space of the iPad. The result is a page that is just a bit smaller than a real comic book when viewed in portrait mode. Users can move on to the next page with a flick of the finger.
However, there are a few problems with Marvel’s app. Sometimes, the words can seem a little small on iPad’s screen in the default portrait mode. User may need to expand the image a little bit to get the best reading experience in certain titles. Also, at $1.99 per issue, that may be too expensive for most readers. Perhaps Marvel will offer a monthly or yearly subscription in the future.
iPad is also the best way to read Japanese manga online. When reading the newest issues of Naruto via manga sites such as Onemanga.com, regular browsers on the desktop just don’t cut it. The biggest problem with desktop browsers is that these browsers usually do not display the entire page. You have to scroll down to read the rest. Scrolling down constantly can get really annoying, especially when you are trying to read tens of manga chapters at a time.
However, with the iPad, the entire page can be displayed with a few taps on the touch screen. After a page has finished loading, simply double tap the image to utilize the maximum available screen space. The end result is a page that is very similar to the size of a real manga.
The manga reading experience from the iPad is very similar to reading a real paperback manga. But instead of flipping a page to go on to the next page, just tap on the image to go to the next page. It is amazingly simple and intuitive. The iPad’s screen size is just right for an online manga. Readers probably won’t find the words too small to read. With the iPad, you may find yourself reading manga for hours while keeping that nostalgic paperback experience you’ve enjoyed in the bookstores.
The only thing that may be keeping users from enjoying reading online manga with the iPad is the default Safari browser. The default iPad browser cannot enable full screen browsing. To fully enjoy a manga on the iPad, you need to make use of all available screen space. Luckily, there are already some excellent alternative full screen iPad browsers available in the App Store for downloading. With these browsers you can enjoy reading online manga to its full potential.
The iPad is a revolutionary digital content medium. Its success will not only change the way we read newspapers, magazines, and books, but also comics and manga. Perhaps one day, all comics and manga will be delivered digitally via gadgets such as the iPad.
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