9 Google Reader Alternatives
Google Reader is going bye-bye. I almost thought it was a hoax when I first heard the news. To say that I rely on Google Reader is an understatement. With over a thousand blogs on my reader, it's a necessity.
Fortunately, Google is giving us until July to find a replacement.
Here are some alternatives for you to consider.
Feedly is a popular reader and is free. It can be loaded as an app or an extension to your browser.
Flipboard is an app for your tablets and phones. Free for iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook, and Kindle Fire.
Feed Demon is an RSS reader for Windows. It allows you to tag, use keywords, and alerts you to the keywords you've programmed into it.
RSS Owl is another reader that can be synchronized from Google Reader. To me, it looks too much like Outlook. I already get some blog feeds through Outlook so I'm not sure this is the one for me.
Feed Booster is a web-based feed reader. Unlike the others listed here, it could've done a better job presenting what it offered. Probably not for me.
NetVibes looks interesting. It seems to have an awful lot of options and is customizable. It's going on my list.
Pulse, another web-based reader. This looks easy to learn, so it's on my list to try.
The Old Reader is a bare-bones RSS feed that is supposed to be very much like the Google Reader we know and love. I will definitely try this out if only so I don't have to learn something new.
Subscribe by Email: Probably the most fool-proof of all the readers. You sign up and the post comes directly to your email. If you want to subscribe to my blog, the subscription tab is directly to your right.
No matter which route you decide to take, be sure to download all your Google data with Google Takeout. It archives all your information in one neat little package.
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So, how do you read blogs? Do you click on them one at a time from your bookmarks, subscribe by email, or do you use a Reader? Will losing Google Reader affect you?
I am very upset at losing Google Reader. It's possible my blog reading will diminish if I don't find a suitable (and easy-to-learn) alternative.
Fortunately, Google is giving us until July to find a replacement.
Here are some alternatives for you to consider.
Feedly is a popular reader and is free. It can be loaded as an app or an extension to your browser.
Flipboard is an app for your tablets and phones. Free for iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook, and Kindle Fire.
Feed Demon is an RSS reader for Windows. It allows you to tag, use keywords, and alerts you to the keywords you've programmed into it.
RSS Owl is another reader that can be synchronized from Google Reader. To me, it looks too much like Outlook. I already get some blog feeds through Outlook so I'm not sure this is the one for me.
Feed Booster is a web-based feed reader. Unlike the others listed here, it could've done a better job presenting what it offered. Probably not for me.
NetVibes looks interesting. It seems to have an awful lot of options and is customizable. It's going on my list.
Pulse, another web-based reader. This looks easy to learn, so it's on my list to try.
The Old Reader is a bare-bones RSS feed that is supposed to be very much like the Google Reader we know and love. I will definitely try this out if only so I don't have to learn something new.
Subscribe by Email: Probably the most fool-proof of all the readers. You sign up and the post comes directly to your email. If you want to subscribe to my blog, the subscription tab is directly to your right.
No matter which route you decide to take, be sure to download all your Google data with Google Takeout. It archives all your information in one neat little package.
***
So, how do you read blogs? Do you click on them one at a time from your bookmarks, subscribe by email, or do you use a Reader? Will losing Google Reader affect you?
I am very upset at losing Google Reader. It's possible my blog reading will diminish if I don't find a suitable (and easy-to-learn) alternative.
Comments
(However, at one time I sought a way to do so, and to synchronize reading on the two devices. I found that using Google Reader on the back-end was the only way to do so, and it only worked some of the time. I don't know what service NetNewsWire and similar apps will use in future.)
-TimK
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Linda: I imagine there will be a lot of blogs deleted from any future reader as I clean house. --at least until I feel comfortable with the new reader.
Let us know how your trials of some of those readers work for you!
I already use Flipboard, but it gets transferred from Google Reader, so I need to investigate further.
It always comes down to money I guess.
Google Reader is a dedicated RSS feed that filters into one convenient web space. It lets me save favorite posts, tag, search, and filter.
Since you've never used it, it probably won't seem like a great tragedy to you. But who knows how long they'll keep the 'reading list' alive too? One never knows. :)
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Barbara: LOL. I prefer to stay home. That's too many clicks for the blogs I follow.
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Susan: I'm waiting for a nice quiet Sunday so I can take them for a test drive.
It should be right now.
So many of the blogs I follow are for business or informational purposes rather than for relationships.