# Practical Boat Owner Magazine — user reviews > 54 indexed App Store user reviews of Practical Boat Owner Magazine by Future plc, rated 4.46/5 from 217 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practical-boat-owner-magazine/id521062536/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/practical-boat-owner-magazine/id521062536.md ## Newest reviews (10 of 54) ### 2/5 — Digital edition lags print edition *2018-08-08, version 6.0.2* The app really lets down the first rate content. The June edition was on newstands nearly a week ago but no sign of the digital edition yet. Photographs very blurry on an iPhone. Update: although the July 2018 edition appears in the Issues tab, it's not possible to purchase it. The button label is "Buy issue for" with no price, and the button can't be pressed. ### 3/5 — Slow and buggy update *2018-05-20, version 6.0.2* Version 6 is really slow on my iPad 3 - especially scrolling through the list of issues. Initially, after "upgrading" I lost access to content I had access to in the previous version (through an iTunes subscription - so Time will not investigate and asked me to take this up with Apple); this has now been fixed. But I still don't plan to renew my subscription. ### 4/5 — PBO iosh app *2018-02-18, version 6.0.1* Worse app ever: slow clumsy, can’t access urls through the magazine. Doesn’t update latest issue until all printed copies on sale. It showed March 18 edition now its disappeared Awful app ### 4/5 — PBO unsubscribed *2017-12-26, version 6.0.1* Lazy publishers. No active links to articles or even potentially interesting advertisers ! Page size doesn't fit screen. All the time we keep paying for this ... that's exactly what we'll get. ### 2/5 — Oh no - backward move *2017-11-06, version 6.0.0* This used to work okay (late delivery accepted). Update has added nothing and taken a step, or two, backward. No longer fits to screen on my (old) iPad. Opens and presents with details of the latest magazine available, rather than the one I am still reading. Go to open the previous version and it starts again at the front page rather than remember where I was in the magazine. This is such a fundamental error as to almost make the app unusable again. Please sort this out asap - remember where I have got to in each magazine as a minimum.... (hard copy excluded!) ### 3/5 — P B O *2017-01-12, version 5.1.0* It has got a bit too upmarket for me, I preferred it when it was aimed at "sticks and string" sailors. ### 3/5 — Good enough *2016-07-28, version 5* It's just a simple page turner with very little interactive content; it's as if the printed version has been simply photographed. ### 4/5 — Was a good ap *2015-03-02, version 4.2* But now have to download my mag every time it's updated this means you have no mag to read unless you spend a lot of time down loading all the mag again and again. ### 2/5 — App is cumbersome *2014-09-12, version 4.0* Am extremely hacked off at not being able to access something I've paid for due to the need to leave a review. Marketing gone mad. What happened to keeping your customer base happy with a good product which they have paid for? ### 4/5 — Great magazine *2014-08-30, version 4.0* I like the magazine which tries to cater to all types of sailor. It is suitable to others perhaps more 'practical', as the name of the magazine suggests, than me. Even so, it doesn't patronise like other sailing mags that I subscribe to. The app for the IPad is invaluable to me, as I can pick up past issues without storing paper magazines. This has proven very useful in the past where I needed a reminder of something I had read. I can't find the problems others seem to have had, although 'forcing' a review is counterproductive and only gives the mag itself a bad review instead of the problem itself. Overall though, I am a happy IPad subscriber to the PBO. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Still waiting for old issues! *2022-03-04, version 6.0.20* I have used this app for years because it allows me to keep digital versions of the mags. The latest update has ruined this. All my purchased issues prior to 2020 are lost. The publishers, who updated the app, say speak to Apple. Apple say they can’t troubleshoot a third party app, which seems reasonable. This is very poor customer service from the publishers. Update (Feb 2022) - in Oct 2021 a message on the app said the older issues would be uploaded by the middle of Dec 2021. Still waiting. UPDATE Mar 2022 this message has now disappeared. Until this is done I can’t even have a chance of getting my older issues back. Every time I ask for help, I get much the same “restore purchases” spiel, which is useless. Poor, poor, poor. ### 1/5 — Titles keep disappearing *2021-10-05, version 6.0.20* It’s chaotic and it keep losing my subscription ### 1/5 — Frustrating *2021-02-21, version 7.2.0* The magazine is brilliant but the App is proving to be a nightmare list too long suffice to say the support by the developers has been stretched ### 1/5 — Crashing all the time *2018-12-13, version 7.0.0* About a day ago the app started crashing as it loaded - rebooted iPad deleted and reinstalled read a few pages then it crashed again, and again won’t load. Tried app support link on AppStore but that goes to page not found!!!! ### 1/5 — Another update destroys functionality *2017-10-17, version 6.0.0* Forced to update app to read downloaded past issues - except now they are all locked and I cannot access them. Despite downloaded PBO back issues taking 7.8 gB of memory ( more than 40,000 photographs) in my iPad. This issue means I have a full memory but I was told by PBO technical that I cannot save/download magazine articles to flash memory. Doesn't matter now as I cannot see them either way. ### 1/5 — New app is useless. *2017-09-28, version 6.0.0* Can’t read any issues bought through iTunes subscription. Probably designed by the team that built RyanAir’s rostering system. ### 1/5 — Digital version is always at least a week later than the printed copy. *2016-10-13, version 5.1.0* The digital edition lags the print version by a week or more. A blatant attempt to keep the physical version's circulation figures alive. Does what it says on the tin, but magazines like this are now being overtaken by great content on the web that is completely free - if you spend a bit of time looking around. ### 1/5 — Needs improvement *2016-09-03, version 5* As another reviewer said, this App works ok as a simple page-turner - given the quality and nature of the content however, it is a great pity that it does not do much more. I would have preferred to have downloaded the content into Kindle or iBooks. Main things lacking are: 1. the ability to automatically frame the text intelligently when zooming in on a section (this is currently clunky to read) 2. keyword linkage to a dictionary or web-search (there is obviously a lot of technical or specific vocabulary which if you don't remember or know, there's no easy lookup offered) 3. a straightforward way to print a page or two (other reading Apps tend not to either but with useful checklists in the content it's a pity this isn't more direct) ### 1/5 — Disappointing customer service *2016-08-22, version 5* I bought the subscription and downloaded the app on June 18th but it wasn't until mid-August that I was actually able to download an issue despite repeated emails to Magazines Direct. They kept sending a stock email response saying that it would take time for the subscription to kick in. Two months!! Don't buy unless you are prepared for a long wait to get anything in return for your money. ### 1/5 — Flakey *2016-01-31, version 4.2* Very flakey apps, quicker to go to the newsagents and buy a physical copy. Don't know from one month to another if you are going to get the latest version or not. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — J D *2020-02-20, version 7.1.0* Very useful and much needed publication for keeping up to date and in the know as a boat owner. ### 5/5 — PBO online *2019-03-23, version 7.1.0* Very convenient way to read a great magazine.... ### 5/5 — App rated *2017-08-14, version 5.1.0* The app is easy to use with only one snag that when double tapped to magnify. It doesn't remember this when turning to the next page. PBO continues to be a useful and entertaining publication which the app helps by reducing paper copies, I do miss them but I miss the clutter more. It would be useful to subscribe and get both so that occasionally on an isolated mooring one could plan ahead by having the hard copy to hand. It would only take a simple coupon to prove subscription handed in to the newsagents or supermarket. ### 5/5 — A good read on paper or tablet *2017-06-07, version 5.1.0* This is a magazine with plenty for the DIY sailor to read. Some of the writers are well known for their advice and knowledge. There is a good ratio of articles to advertising which has blighted many other upmarket magazines. I prefer the paper version on my saloon table but use the online version if away from the uk. As for the price it is fair for carefully edited content. Free online information is all very well but it varies widely in quality and not always reliable. ### 5/5 — Great app with good back catalogue *2017-05-20, version 5.1.0* A* ### 5/5 — First class magazine *2015-08-19, version 4.2* Good app, works well, very good well written magazine ### 5/5 — PBO on the move *2015-05-16, version 4.2* A useful app, allowing full access to PBO's content. Need to remember to download, which takes a while especially on "dial-up" access. ### 5/5 — Great mag in a great app *2014-12-26, version 4.2* Returned to sailing now the kids have flown the nest. Great to see PBO still as good as it was way back and having it to hand on the iPad is even better as I can read it anywhere and have my whole library of back issues with me ### 5/5 — So far so good *2014-12-21, version 4.2* And being far from the UK and the price charged in foreign shops for a hard copy makes this app very worthwhile a OK to browse. But I do miss flicking through pages!!!! ### 5/5 — Simply most useful *2014-12-05, version 4.2* Not new to sailing but new to PBO, I have found the magazine, helpful, informative and uniquely interesting for me the day sailer. I find PBO unlike big glossies to be full of interesting true life own experiences and helpful professional hints to get the best from our boats. Keep it up. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-27.*