All right folks, it’s time. Time to let go of the Google Reader apron strings and pick a new RSS reader .. *sob*..
All of us RSS freaks are heartbroken while the rest of the normal world gives us strange looks while we are consoling each other, like:
It’s just a web application, get over it.
They just don’t get it. Google Reader was perfect to me, but now it’s time to find a new one.
Here are some alternatives I’ve been messing around with for the past month and a half.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO RSS FEED ANY MORE
(Or don’t bloody know what it is)
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You won’t miss a single one, I promise.
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HOW TO GRAB YOUR OLD FEEDS FROM GOOGLE READER
Use Google Takeout.
Start by clicking on the Settings button (looks like a cog or a gear) at the top right-hand corner:
Next, click on Reader Settings
Click on Import / Export
Click on the link that appears for Download your data through Takeout
Wait for it to download
Note that it is just for Google Reader (not for your other Google services), and click on Create Archive
Then it’ll make you download a zip file, and that has all your feeds in it, done in an .opml format.
THE OLD READER (theoldreader.com)
This looks and feels almost exactly like Google Reader.
No it doesn’t feel the same (nothing ever will), but if you really want something similar, this is it.
They even have that little feature we missed from Google Reader that lets you share articles with others who follow you.
You can use all the same Google shortcuts like “N” for “next article” and so on.
If you want to also have it sync to your iPod Touch or iPhone, I am told that Feeddler (what an awkward name) will do the trick.
FEEDLY (feedly.com)
I’m starting to feel this RSS reader grow on me. I’m liking it more and more.
It even has colour themes 😀
I REALLY, REALLY like that they have a Feedly APP so that on my iPod Touch, I can RSS read and it will sync and mark them as read in the Feedly cloud.
Otherwise, I am stuck with having to try and remember which device I used (desktop or iPod Touch?) to RSS read, and I’m stuck double-reading articles. 😐
I do wish I could just hit “N” for the next article to automatically load instead of having to press “N” and then “Enter” right after 😐
(I’ve emailed and asked them to make this change)
I like that you can play with different layouts (magazine, list, thumbnail, etc)
And if you want to only have Unread items show up, you can click on the Settings (cog / gear button) and select the checkbox Unread only, as well as Oldest first.
You can also bookmark items for later, which I rather like because sometimes I want to blog about or re-blog something awesome I read.
Anyway, I like this one the best because it has the nice sync (no muss no fuss) with the iPod Touch.
I know The Old Reader syncs too, with Feeddler, but… it’s not the same company / app, so I feel odd.
I’d also like them to let me pre-download blog posts so I can read them offline, as I don’t always have wifi… I know it’s available with Byline, but it would be better if it was directly available in Feedly for the Apple apps.
BLOGLOVIN’ (bloglovin.com)
I really like the concept of this RSS reader. Each read from a reader, counts as a pageview!!
So for bloggers, this is awesome because every time a reader clicks through your post, you get it counted as a pageview, which helps your stats. If you care about that stuff.
The downside is that it is not as cool as Feedly and it doesn’t have the ease of use of The Old Reader.
I think it’s super cool because you can find new blogs to love through it, but… it is not perfect. Alas.
That’s it. The rest of the RSS readers I tried don’t do it for me, and I am going to stick to using Feedly for now.
HATE ALL OF THIS? TRY TWITTER & FACEBOOK THEN!
Otherwise, you can also just follow me on Twitter @saverspender and I tweet new posts (plus ramble) all the time, or follow me on Facebook Mochi and Macarons for approximately the same experience.
