On my Mac, I use NetNewsWire for all my RSS needs, and I love it. I’ve tried a few RSS reader plugins for Firefox on my work-issued PC, but I don’t like any of ’em. Can anyone recommend a free or inexpensive standalone news reader for Windows, ideally very similar to NetNewsWire?
Standalone news reader for Windows?
I’ve been going with web-based readers to keep in sync what I read at work and home. I was using an open-source php program on my web host until a week ago when I found Google reader. I’m enjoying it so far.
Hmm, I just use Bloglines. What do you like about NetNewsWire that’s worth paying for (and opening up an extra program)?
-J
What is it that you like so much about the reader on your Mac? The things you aren’t able to find in PC readers. I may be able to help you. Which ones have you tried and not liked for the Ffox?
Well, I don’t pay for it — I just use the Lite version — but I probably would pay for it if I had to. I like the way it helps me organize the feeds into groups, in a very familiar nested model, and most importantly, I like the way it makes it easy to scroll through hundreds of items quickly using simple keyboard shortcuts (arrow keys take care of 90% of the navigation) and almost never having to use a mouse. None of the thin-client programs I’ve looked at so far (Technorati favorites, Bloglines, Wizz RSS plugin for Firefox, Sage plugin, etc) have come close to offering the ease-of-use that NNW does.
What do you like about Bloglines? I may be overlooking some of the benefits.
What I like about NetNewsWire is here in my response to therealjae above: http://kateo.livejournal.com/207114.html?thread=1135114#t1135114
As for the ones I’ve tried and not liked in Firefox, that’s Wizz and Sage. I don’t like that they don’t really seem to save me much clicking — I almost could just leave my bookmarks sidebar open and click on each blog I want to read for the same amount of effort. But I don’t know, maybe I’m overlooking some of their features. What do you use?
I don’t use a mac but at work I use SharpReader and it is way cool. It is a standalone and works similar to outlook in that when new posts are posted you see a little pop up, which you can ignore or click on to read.
You can also tell it what frequency to check for updates.
I like the organize-feeds-into-groups feature of Bloglines, too, and I know it also has keyboard shortcuts (though I don’t use them–I like my mouse). I also like that it’s not a separate program, but simply another tab on my web browser. I switched to Bloglines from a separate program mainly for that reason (and because of the organize-feeds-into-groups feature).
One advantage Bloglines would have for you: you could use it absolutely identically whether you’re using the Mac or the PC.
-J
(sorry for this late comment, I’m days behind in reading)
I use bloglines too. I don’t know when you last tried it, but they’ve added some new features in the past few months, including a smoother (but still ugly) interface, folders as well as playlists to organize your reading experience, and a slightly nicer updating process. I like that it’s web based so I my reading is synced on any computer, that I have a little firefox notifier when new stuff is posted, and that I can easily subscribe to a feed through firefox.
i have heard that google’s reader is very good too (see lifehacker for a comparison), but i haven’t tried it at all yet.
Yeah, I think their interface is pretty hideous and hard to use, but I have to admit that the carry-it-with-you flexibility is hard to argue. Plus this way I can check my feeds on my Treo, which is nice. I’m having a time trying to get all my feeds organized into manageable groupings, though. Yeesh.
One advantage Bloglines would have for you: you could use it absolutely identically whether you’re using the Mac or the PC.
And access my feeds on my Treo, too, which is nice. I’m trying to get used to it, and although I still think it’s clunky as hell, I’ll admit that the fact that it knows what posts I’ve already seen when I switch computers (instead of seeing some of the same posts when I switch between feed readers) is a nicety that I could get used to.
Hmm. What makes it “clunky as hell”? (Keep in mind that I’ve only used one other feed reader, and it was much less functional.)
-J