Expert's Rating
Pros
- Brings most Pulse features to desktop with the same familiar interface
- Syncs seamlessly to other devices
- Easy to add and remove subscriptions
Cons
- Share by mail option doesn’t work
- Can’t add articles to favorites
- Need to close in order to refresh
Our Verdict
Pokki’s Pulse app is an excellent way to stay in touch with news on your desktop.
News junkies, Pokki has you covered with its very own desktop version of Pulse. Pulse for Pokki is a mirror image of the Web app, with one significant difference: There’s no need to launch your browser. Once you sign in with your Pulse account, the app immediately syncs your sources and feeds. If you don’t have an account yet, you can easily create one from within the app or log in using Facebook.
To start, add some favorite sources using the “Add Content” button. These can be easily divided into categories of your choosing or added to one big collection. When viewing your feeds, you get to choose from three different layout options, all containing both titles and images in different sizes. Unlike Pulse for Android and iOS, Pulse for Pokki shows one source at a time, letting you switch sources using the left menu. While reading an article, you can share it on Facebook or Twitter, play with different font sizes and styles, and choose between a light or dark theme.
There are a few downsides. The share-by-email option, marked by an envelope button, causes the app to freeze repeatedly. There’s no way to add an article to favorites in the Pokki version, although you can browse your favorites from the app—but if you have none, the app will direct you to add some using the nonexistent star icon. There’s also no convenient way to refresh the app. Despite these issues, Pulse for Pokki is a convenient and speedy way to stay in touch with your favorite blogs and online publications, thus staying connected at all times.
Note: The Download button on the Product Information page will download the software to your system.