So many of us are on the constant lookout for things to read without a good way to find them. Sure, there are things like Flipboard and Twitter, but sometimes we want a more carefully-curated reading list without the responsibility of apps like Instapaper.
This is where Zite comes in. After debuting on the iPad, Zite made the jump over to the iPhone, much like competitor Flipboard. Is Zite worth sticking on your phone, or should you look elsewhere for your lusted-after content? Read on and find out.
Getting Started with Zite
As I mentioned above, most people already get a steady stream of content from their Twitter accounts. Many reading this are probably doing so either from a link on Twitter or a subscription managed through Google Reader; both of those accounts, along with Read it Later, can be hooked up to help Zite learn what you like (and don’t like) to be shown.
The three accounts that can be hooked up to Zite.
Zite claims that they use this information to monitor how you work with your already existing content in order to give you more compelling things to read in the future. All of this takes place on the back-end, and doesn’t require any input (beyond what you’ve already taken) on the user’s end.
Browsing and searching through sections.
Let’s say that you want to have another curated list of things to read. Instead of making this difficult, Zite manages this through what it calls Sections. These are genres of content, from Politics to Gaming, Technology to Psychology. Adding a section is as easy as tapping it, at which point Zite takes over and starts showing you things that you may want to read.
Does it Work?
I found Zite to be a little hit-or-miss. There are some articles that I’ve found through Zite that have been really enjoyable, but there’s also a lot of fluff to get through. Since Zite analyzes content for “buzz” (how many times something is shared, whether it’s been “liked” by others, etc.) you’re going to end up with a lot of list-style articles.
Two of the four items shown are lists.
I also found Zite to be a bit … off with its categorization of certain articles. I can be facing a list of psychological articles when all of the sudden I’ll find an application review in there, and vice-versa. Sure, these are things that I would like to read, but it’s a bit jarring to find something that doesn’t belong.
If this sounds overly critical, lay your fears to rest. Despite these issues, I’ve enjoyed Zite each time I launch it. I – like many others – am a complete sucker for list articles despite my impatience with them, and there have been plenty of other things that I’ve read through the service. It’s competent, but far from perfect.
The Reading Interface
Until recently, I could barely stand reading an article in Zite itself. What felt like half of the screen was taken up by interface elements that didn’t need to be shown all the time, and the stark black that Zite chose looks more like a crappy Android app than a good iPhone app. Thankfully though, Zite has improved this and made the main reading experience full screen.
Mmmm, nice and clutter free.
With the clutter gone, I was able to easily focus on the text of each article. Everything is easily readable, and those controls that used to take up so much space are now brought up by tapping on the screen.
Ahhhh! Get those glyphs away from me!
Controls range from viewing an article the way that it appears on the actual website to sharing it on all of the usual suspects (Twitter, Facebook, email, etc.). The controls that really affect Zite are the thumbs-up and thumbs-down on the bottom of the screen. Hitting either of these allows you to express the quality and relevance of the article that you’re reading, giving Zite some actual feedback to improve your experience next time.
On Zite and Flipboard
I’m going to go ahead and state the obvious: Flipboard obviously looks better than Zite. Where Flipboard is polished and smooth, Zite is clunky and abrupt; Zite can’t win on interface alone.
Despite that, I found myself using Zite more often than I used Flipboard. Zite seemed to update more frequently, had a broader range of subjects without feeling overwhelming, and kept me coming back for more despite its flaws.
That said, both can exist on the same iPhone easily. While Zite is focused on bringing you new content quickly, Flipboard can act as a gorgeous RSS reader or Twitter service on top of bringing you new content. Both are enjoyable to use, though for different reasons. While someone may use Flipboard simply because it’s such a joy to operate, that person can get past Zite’s sloppy, half-baked interface for the end product.
Conclusion
There’s no harm in downloading Zite, as it’s free and easy enough to uninstall. There are certainly things that could be improved, ranging from the power of the service’s backend to the interface that feels like it was just slapped together. Still, I enjoyed my time with Zite, and have found plenty of things to read.
If that’s what you’re looking for, go ahead and download Zite. If you’re looking for something else, with a bit more of a personal feel, use Flipboard. If you want both, use both. It’s that simple.