What's the Best RSS Reader Not Named Google Reader? 287
Hugh Pickens writes writes "The news that that Google is killing off Google Reader in their annual spring cleaning means hordes of abandoned RSS users will need a new home to get their news fix before July 1, 2013. Sure, Google Reader may not have been the most beautifully designed product to come out of Mountain View, Calif., but it sure was convenient. And now that it's going away, it's evident just how valuable it has been. 'It's a tough question that's not unlike asking what's the best planet to live on not named Earth or the best thing to breathe not named air,' writes Casey Chan. 'Google Reader was that obvious a choice.' So what's the best RSS reader not named Google Reader? Is it Reeder? Or NetNewsWire? Maybe Feedly? Or should we all just ditch RSS and get with Twitter?"
Personally, I've taken a liking to Akregator on my desktop and Sparse RSS on my phone (syncing done woefully manually by exporting the list of feeds from my desktop reader and importing into the phone reader now and then). Update: 03/14 14:43 GMT by T : Depending on your aesthetics and platform of choice, you might like one of these four options, too.
Keeping feeds separate (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe I use RSS feeds differently than other people; but I've had trouble finding a decent reader that allows you to look at your feeds separately (on my iPad anyway - Firefox and Safari do fine if I'm on my desktop). Apparently most people like all the data all mixed in together, but I am generally reading RSS to find more targeted info - new Netflix streamable movies, for example.
Netvibes (Score:5, Insightful)
I've been using Netvibes for several years now, and am mostly pleased, partly due to its "widget" mode, which lets me separate posts by feed rather than seeing them piled up by time. It will aggregate facebook, twitter, email (subject lines only), and has various widgets for just about anything: google news searches, ebay bids/sales, stock tracking, etc.
It's mobile interface, however, has some serious flaws: it reports the wrong feed name when you select a post (I think it's showing the one you previously selected), and some feeds don't display at all (TechCrunch and MAKE, I'm looking at you) -- it might just be a matter of selecting a different version of the feed, though.
Upgrade your domain to Google Apps Business today! (Score:3, Insightful)
Google has quite some balls sending me an email today asking me to upgrade my personal Google Apps account to their business tier today. Only $5/month!
You know what I would pay for? Google Reader.
(For the record, the reason I don't upgrade is because I'm a single user of the domain, but have 3 accounts - one personal, one for root, and one for a separate alerts mailbox...labels don't suffice yet).
Re:Feedly looks ok (Score:5, Insightful)
I need something that is cross machine compatible, linking my read/unread to a single machine isn't fun
Re:Tiny Tiny RSS (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Feedly looks ok (Score:5, Insightful)
I use RSS feeds mainly for research journals to watch for relevant papers as they come out. And... er... webcomics. Why the hell would I care to include my friends on either one of those? My friends are idiots. If I find a particular journal article relevant to them (or funny webcomic), I can post it to one of those various services.
Why does it seem like every RSS reader out there is trying to get me to merge it with facebook?
Step 1: Make a website that does something
Step 2: Integrate social media
Step 3: ???
Step 4: PROFIT!!!
I try to avoid companies that seem to have that plan.
Multiple devices ? (Score:5, Insightful)
I am ready to switch to anything else, as long as I can keep on reading stuff from everywhere. I am ready to install client applications.
Any idea ?
Re:Feedly isn't perfect but it works everywhere (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, why DOES Feedly need an extension to work? I can see where an extension might make it more *useful*, but the basic functionality doesn't need it.
Re:Netvibes (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd pay a lot more than $36/year for Google Reader. Pretty much hating all of the alternatives though. Really, is it so fucking hard to have a list of feeds on one side and a list of article headlines that expand to show the full text when clicked on the other?