• by Mark Walsh , July 13, 2010

The iPad has long been touted as a digital savior for the beleaguered newspaper and magazine industries, but that doesn't mean their online-only content rivals are eschewing the Apple tablet.

To that end, The Huffington Post, bane of traditional publishers, on Monday announced that it's launching its own iPad app offering access to all the site's sections, along with features tailored to the device like the ability to "flip" through articles for a quick look at the latest news. It also allows users to swipe through slideshows optimized for the iPad's touchscreen, watch videos, and find stories via a drop-down table of contents.

HuffPo's new iPad app is actually an update to a version it soft-launched last month, adding features like the ability to swipe on section icons to switch to another vertical and a "back" button on article pages.

So how do people like the tablet edition of the left-leaning site covering politics, technology, sports, fashion and just about everything else? Judging by the 2.5 out of five stars it has earned from App Store customers, the response is decidedly mixed. The 13 reviews posted so far for the updated HuffPo app range from "Fail" to AMAZING!!"

Most of the complaints seem to focus on bugs or problems using the app, especially for posting comments. "Maybe it is me, but I still can't figure out how to sign in to my Huff Post account. Nor can if find a way to add a comment via iPad," read one review. Videos still are a problem in that most don't download. Can't organize content as is possible on my iPhone." Other users also suggested that HuffPo's iPhone app works better than the iPad offering. The company would not disclose how many times its iPhone or iPad app has been downloaded to date.

Still, the customer rating for HuffPo's iPad app so far is still better than those of print magazine publishers that have introduced high-profile versions for the Apple device. The iPad apps for Conde Nast's Wired, Rodale's Men's Health and Time magazine have all earned two or less stars from users in the App Store.

Unlike some of its traditional publishing competitors, HuffPo isn't charging a subscription for access to its iPad edition, so it will be especially dependent on advertising. A company spokesman said the iPad app has no launch sponsors.

But the company has built up a large ad sales force under Chief Revenue Officer Greg Coleman, including nine hires announced in May from companies including AOL, Yahoo, Forbes and USA Today. The growing ad sales efforts will presumably extend to the iPad.