Browsing and reading the news with the app is a unique visual experience. The photographs are high-resolution and beautiful, the text is crisp and clear. I think you'll like it.

Since its introduction in 2010, the iPad has exploded in popularity to make up a significant amount of the traffic at idahostatesman.com. Each day, more people are using an iPad to view our e-edition publication. This app is our latest effort to serve this fast-growing audience.

If you are a digital subscriber, you can enjoy unlimited views on the app at no extra charge. If you aren't yet a subscriber, you get 70 free views every 30 days.

The Statesman's parent company, The McClatchy Company, hired Grey Montgomery as the company's Editor of Tablet Publications. Grey previously developed the USA Today's successful iPad app, and he's leading the charge at McClatchy.

Locally, I'll be heading up our effort in Boise. To begin with, we'll be publishing two "editions" to the app home screen every day - one early in the morning, and one mid-afternoon. For these updates we'll select the best stories we have at the moment to highlight. The rest of our content can be viewed in the sections behind the home screen.

You can look forward to new features in the coming weeks and months as well. Soon, work from the Statesman's award-winning staff of photojournalists will be showcased in photo galleries on the app. Future versions will also incorporate video and interactive graphics.

If you have an iPad, download it (for free) at the iTunes store and let me know what you think.

Joe Jaszewski: 377-6218

Statesman launches new iPad app, the latest in digital offerings.