On PC, most users access the social media aggregate via their web browser. Browser extensions like Reddit Enhancement Suite provide improvements to the site's functionality. Though, in general, Reddit.com is pretty out-dated and proves a nightmare if you're using a touchscreen.
Thankfully, the chaps at Message Across Studios have finished building Readit for Windows 10 - delivering a premium Reddit experience for PC and tablet users.
Feature rich without sacrificing performance
Simply put, Readit for Windows Phone is so fun to use that it's been destroying my productivity for months now - and that trend is set to continue with their Windows 10 app.
Readit for Windows 10 uses the new universal app SDK, bringing with it a whole host of fresh controls. Considering it's a completely new app and separate from the Windows Phone version, some features are still in development. You likely won't be waiting long, though, as I've witnessed first hand how fast these guys work.
Readit for Windows 10 sports a customizable columnar interface, allowing you to hide and show elements with a simple toggle. With a touch screen, scrolling is responsive as you'd expect from a quality app, and elements shift with pleasing animations. When using a mouse, the app detects where your cursor is hovering allowing to scroll through different sections without selecting them.
I've been using Readit on an high-end Surface Pro 3 with a mouse and keyboard and on a budget HP Stream 7 with touch - it runs like a dream on both. Windows 8.1 Reddit apps often struggle when displaying websites because of problems with the SDK, but Readit does so smoothly without a hitch. Readit is among the first high-quality third-party apps dedicated for Windows 10, and it gives me optimism for the future of the ecosystem.
The vast majority of Reddit's functionality is present in Readit, including voting, upvoting, nested commenting, and so on. Readit goes a little further by incorporating DNLA/Miracasting into videos, allowing you to stream /r/documentary content straight to your Xbox One over your home WiFi. You'll also get notifications for comment replies in the Windows 10 action center.
If you're a user of the Windows Phone app, Readit for Windows 10 will be welcomingly familiar. If you're new to Readit, you might find yourself ditching Reddit.com for good.
Readit's future updates
Readit doesn't have complete parity with the Windows Phone version as it's a completely new app. The developers have big plans for updates moving forward, as they've detailed with me. This version focusses on standard functionality, power-user features and software optimisation, but future versions look set to make Reddit Enhancement Suite obsolete.
The first update for Readit will include user tags, full messaging support, comment search, post filtering, comment formatting preview and expanded mod tools. Future updates will bring back customizable settings light theming, multi-reddit support, sharing from other apps (e.g. the Windows 10 Photos app), the addictive swipe view and much more.
As a universal app, Readit will eventually make its way to Xbox One and HoloLens. A Windows 10 Mobile version will eventually replace the Windows Phone 8.1 version once Message Across Studios can bring feature parity.
You can pick up Readit in the Windows 10 store using the link below. It's free with ads, but you can remove them with a reasonably priced in-app purchase. If you've already paid for the Windows Phone version, you're all set to go as Readit supports purchasing across devices.
Update: We are seeing a download error through the Store right now. Sit tight and give it some time as the app should be downloadable soon.
Download Readit for Windows 10 / Windows Phone (Free)
Have you tried Readit for Windows 10? Leave a comment below or leave a post for the devs directly on /r/readit!
