Solution 2: Spellcraft
The Spellcraft skill already allows characters to identify potions (DC 25) and scroll spells (DC 20 + spell level), so why not broaden it to include other magic items as well? Using Spellcraft, a character can identify a scroll in 1 round or a potion in 1 minute. You as DM must decide the time required for any other item, but most if not all should fall into one of those two timeframes. If you want to make it simple, just rule that a scroll takes 1 round and any other item takes 1 minute. That way, characters still can't identify most items in the middle of a battle, but they can do so as soon as the battle is over and then move on.
As a guide to setting Spellcraft DCs, you could use the prerequisite level for the relevant item creation feat. Potions (based on Brew Potion, minimum caster level 3rd) are DC 25 and scrolls (based on Scribe Scroll, minimum caster level 1st) begin at DC 20. By that logic, arms and armor and wands (minimum caster level 5th) should be DC 30, rods (minimum caster level 9th) should be DC 35, and rings and staffs (minimum caster level 12th) should be DC 40. Wondrous items (minimum caster level 3rd) should be relatively easy to identify (DC 25, the same as potions), but I suggest setting the DC at 25 for minor wondrous items, 30 for medium items, and 40 for major items.
If you want to make identifying magic purely a Spellcraft-based mechanic, you could change the identify and analyze dweomer spells so that instead of just identifying items, they provide bonuses to the caster's Spellcraft checks for identifying magic. Perhaps identify gives a +20 bonus on one check, and analyze dweomer gives a +20 bonus on every check made for the duration of the spell. You might also think about giving a character with the relevant item creation feat a +2 circumstance bonus (if not more) on checks to identify magic. That technique gives a character with Craft Wands a better chance to identify a wand than someone without the feat.
