ReadKit: An Inexpensive RSS Feed Reader for Your Mac

Since purchasing a MacBook Pro last weekend, I’ve been exploring RSS Feed Reader programs. Of course there’s the web-based stand-by programs such as Feedly or NewsBlur which I’ve written about before. But somehow, since the demise of Google Reader, I’ve been using either one of these, and I haven’t been entirely pleased with the experience of these two reader options. Both seemed to be plagued by bugs and misfires, at least in my experience, so while using Windows, I used them because there just didn’t seem to be a great deal of options.
Since becoming a Mac user, I have been trying some RSS feed readers, and in ReadKit, I think I’ve found a solid reader that has a clear interface as well as the ability to share articles directly from the reader to a number of other web services. The program allows users to share to the usual social media outlets such as Twitter or Facebook, as well as sharing to other collection apps such as Pocket or Instapaper. Users can also customize the interface to their own needs like most other Feed readers, and they can also use their usually RSS feed services such as Feedly, Fever, NewsBlur, Feed Wrangler and Feed and Feedbin. While most other Readers provide all of these features, for the most part, ReadKit has proven to reliable and less buggy than other readers I’ve tried, and it has a well-laid out interface with easy to learn features. Currently, ReadKit is on sale for $4.99 in the App Store. It is an excellent Feed Reader for Mac Users.

Perhaps It's Time to Let Go of RSS Reading: No Reliable Replacement to Be Found

Is it time to give up on RSS Feed Readers? Since the demise of Google Reader, I have been scrambling from one alternative to another, trying to find the same reliability of service I had with Google Reader. I have tried Feedly and Newsblur, only to be gravely disappointed with bugs and malfunctions, especially with my tablet applications. Perhaps it’s time I let go of my wanting to read reliable RSS feed information. There just doesn’t seem to be a reliable product available for those of us who are used these services in order to stay connected to the most current news stories.

When Google decided to let go of Google Reader, I honestly did find myself lost, without a reliable connection with those blogs that I follow on a regular basis. Google Reader was one of the first applications I accessed after booting up my computer each morning. Now, I do not find the same reliability in the same RSS feed reader offerings. The problem from my perspective is that there has not been a reliable RSS feed reader to step forward since Google Reader’s demise. I tried Feedly for a period of time but its bugs regarding the display of feeds drove me crazy. Then, I tried NewsBlur, even paying for a subscription because I was impressed with my trial runs. Unfortunately, the iOS app through my iPad has made RSS feed reading so miserable, I am on the verge of giving up being able to read RSS feeds forever. It has crashed multiple times, to the point I am entirely unable to use the app.

This all leads me to my final question. Is it time for us to give up hope on relying on the RSS reading experience altogether? There just doesn’t seem to be a reliable product that makes RSS reading easy any more. Maybe RSS feed reading is a fossil of the past. Perhaps it is time to give up on the expectation that we can use this technology to collect that information that we want to read.

My experiences with the constant bugs and crashes of Feedly and Newsblur have made me think that perhaps it is time to give up the hope of finding a reliable RSS feed reading experience? I have been able to let go of other technologies that have become obsolete. Perhaps RSS feed reading has outlived it’s usefulness too.

Feedly: An RSS Reader Replacement for Google Reader

With the impending demise of Google Reader, I have been in search for an RSS Reader replacement. As soon as the announcement was made, I was one of "500,000 Users Who Turned to Feedly as an Alternative." I also tried other alternatives suggested on Twitter, such as Newsblur and some desktop software readers such as Feedreader. In the end, I think Feedly is the best choice as a replacement to Google Reader.

Feedly Web Interface

1. Simple web interface. Other alternatives, such as Newsblur and Feedreader were much more compluicated. I liked Google Reader because of it's simplicity. Feedly's layout of feed subscriptions is easy and accessible, making it a good choice.

2. Users can scan through RSS feeds rather quickly, and marking them read is as easy as clicking on a link. For me this was an important part of Google Reader. I consume RSS news quickly, not always reading entire articles. Feedly's interface does facilitate that kind of reading.

3. Page layout options are available. Users can customize, to some degree, their RSS reading experience in Feedly, in many ways, much more than they could in Google Reader.

4. Feedly has an iPad app. This gives users tablet and smartphone access to their RSS reading. The app is much easier to use than the the web app, and sharing your reading through social media is also an option, another important feature of my RSS reading experience.

5.Users can choose color themes for their web Feedly interface. I prefer the darker colors on my laptop, so this is an option I like even more, since it was not available in Google Reader.

6. Advanced settings allow users to change other features of their RSS reader. The advanced settings allow users to change other features such as default view, mini-toolbar enabling. Overall, because of this, Feedly makes RSS reading even more personal.

Feedly iPad App Interface

Feedly's Magazine-Like iPad Interface

With the demise of Google Reader, Feedly makes sense as an RSS Reader replacement app.