Pandora Radio 1.0

Pandora Radio Editor's Review

Take your music anywhere you can get an internet connection with this must have multiplatform multimedia app.

One of the hottest technologies in recent years, especially with the implementation of faster mobile broadband technology like HSPA+ and LTE, is audio streaming. While streaming in and of itself isn't new, heck, other apps have been out for a while, one that has stood out since its introduction is Pandora Radio. It’s a music anywhere app; and its available on a computing device near you, including your Windows PC.

Regardless of where you are – in the car, at the gym, on the train – you can use Pandora Radio to listen wherever and whenever you're in the mood for your music. The application comes in a number of mobile formats and includes a web-based version as well.

You can enjoy all of your stations right from your PC. You can also create new stations and rate songs using the standard thumbs up or thumbs down. Pandora on mobile devices is fully integrated with Pandora on the web, so everything you create and personalize on your device appears next time you're back on the web and vice-versa.

Over and above the standard PC to mobile experience, you can easily set up and listen to all your stations in your vehicle. Some implementations of Pandora Radio even have voice support for song and station changes.

App Pro’s: PC, mobile and vehicle integration. Easy streaming setup. Custom channel creation

App Con’s: Streaming audio eats up your data plan allotments (but you can't do much about that) Desktop app is actually a Sidebar gadget and all gadgets are known to be insecure.

Conclusion: Pandora Radio is a great way to listen to your favorite music no matter where you are. As long as you have access to the internet, you can get your music no matter where you are. Its PC and mobile device integration provide a consistent experience with the software and service no matter where you are.

The best way to run Pandora Radio is NOT through the desktop gadget that is downloaded to your PC, but through the website. Windows desktop gadgets are known to be insecure, which is why Microsoft shut down the code (sidebar.exe doesn't run by default any longer) and all gadget development has ceased. The whole gadget system is known to be an unpluggable security problem within Windows.