| What would you say if I told you I could stuff a | | | | may be free, but by the time you've used it for |
| whole specialized cable network into your iPad, | | | | any length of time, you will probably wish it were |
| provide just about everything you get from that | | | | not. That's because TWC Max is chock full of ads. |
| network, plus add some cool social networking | | | | Static ads appear on selected pages at selected |
| features and tons of special information you can | | | | times. Every video starts with a commercial. You |
| only get online? | | | | don't care; you're not buying the product; you |
| Don't answer too fast. I'm talking about The | | | | just want to know if it's going to rain. Yet there |
| Weather Channel Max for iPad, and this app is the | | | | they are. |
| definition of running before you walk, an exercise | | | | So even though the app is free, you feel like |
| guaranteed to make you look awkward and | | | | there's an opportunity cost just for running it. You |
| uncoordinated. | | | | know how you will pay a few hundred bucks for |
| But let's get to the positives first: The Weather | | | | a new computer every two or three years |
| Channel Max app for iPad indeed gives you just | | | | because the old one's just too slow? That's how |
| about everything The Weather Channel on TV | | | | you will end up feeling about TWC Max. You'll |
| offers. You get forecast videos, which are also | | | | gladly pay to get the weather information you |
| available in just about every other weather app | | | | want without the time-burn of watching another |
| out there. But you also get storm videos, national | | | | car commercial. |
| and local weather alerts, tweets from TWC | | | | What else? The videos load slowly. The maps |
| personalities, and live traffic cams. There are | | | | animate slowly. And TWC Max is so notorious for |
| weather maps with overlay layers for radar, | | | | crashing that some iTunes store reviewers have |
| temperature, rainfall, snowfall, and clouds. And of | | | | taken to calling it TWC Crash. |
| course, just as in a cable weather broadcast, the | | | | There's a ton of information in TWC Max, but |
| maps are in motion. | | | | TWC has misjudged how much of it can be |
| In addition to all that, the app is free. So how | | | | delivered without crippling the app. There's a |
| could you be anything but ecstatic with this app? | | | | chance of a sunny future in the forecast, but for |
| Let's start with the "free" part. TWC Max for iPad | | | | right now, this one's a washout. |