Tamava Reader

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffOctober 24, 2007This free news reader is just clunky enough to throw a monkey wrench in the works for novices. Experienced users may have no problems, but we still have a few quibbles with this app.Tamava Reader opens in what essentially looks like a tabbed browser window. Before first launch, we were prompted to choose a news server from a preloaded list. Some are free, but some require registration and payment, which may intimidate a first-time user. In our tests, we chose Other and entered our ISP's news server--a selection that may not be intuitive for many novices, especially because it isn't clearly listed as an option by Tamava.Tamava includes preloaded options for Top Groups categorized by video, audio, and so forth. Parents should be alert that a variety of erotica groups are also preloaded, so this is an app not appropriate for children or impressionable users. Further, most of the groups seem to have a French orientation, so non-French-speaking users may want to steer clear of the preloaded lists.More than once we tried to open headers, only to be told the app couldn't do so because it was still updating the newsgroup--but the app offered no visual cues that downloading was in progress. A progression bar, or a pop-up notice that updating was complete, would be a nice addition to this app.Tamava Reader may appeal to some users, but it isn't high on our list of recommendations.