- Viddler Vidgets Are Video Widgets
- Pinch Media Partners With JumpTap on iPhone Application Advertising
- 12seconds -- The Video Twitter (invites)
- Should Facebook Have Selected More Non-Valley Companies For Their Facebook Connect Launch Partners?
- Crowdsourced Encyclopedias: Wikipedia, Mahalo and Google Knol
Newest Content
Latest NYC Coverage
NY Web Tech Directory
Most Popular Content
Freshly Baked Jobs
Press Releases
New Interviews
Recent comments
- Re: Viddler Vidgets Are Video Widgets
2 hours 23 min ago - Re: Zuckerberg Keynote Video in 5
5 hours 16 min ago - Re: The Bit.ly Interview: "No Comment" on Twitter URL Switch and
5 hours 46 min ago - Re: Zuckerberg Keynote Video in 5
5 hours 58 min ago - Re: The Bit.ly Interview: "No Comment" on Twitter URL Switch and
6 hours 19 min ago
Google Reader Review
Written by JakeDahn - December 22, 2006
For the last week or so, I have been playing with Google Reader. Google Reader is Google's simplistic online feed reader, meaning you can save all of your RSS feeds, and view them from any computer, that has an internet connection. This is Google's attempt to get itself into the, already, saturated online feed reader market. I think they did an "OK" job, but it's really nothing special, just another feed reader.
If you don't know what a feed reader is, it's quite simple. Basically it takes an RSS feed from a website, and each time the website updates, it sends the update right to your feed reader. Google Reader tries to make the whole thing like email, every time something updates, you get an 'email-like' update. At least that is the sense that I get from Google Reader.
Honestly there really isn't any innovation with Google Reader, it is just like any other feed reader. The only thing that really sticks out is usability. It's very simplistic, and easy to use. Google clearly spent a lot of time, working on the user experience.
Despite the great, and unmatched usability, the design 'lacks' in terms of being new, flashy, and hip, just like most other Google products out there. If you ask me, they should go out, and hire an awesome designer, and then they could pump out great web apps, that actually look great, as well as are easy to use.
So Google Reader works with all the main browsers, so there's no problem there. Meaning, you can use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and even Opera. It's a great solution if you're looking for an online feed reader. The only real downside is the design, which is very Google like.
Right now, Google Reader is plain and simple, there's really no added functionality to it, besides being a basic feed reader. I think that it would be nice to see them add a few new features, perhaps something for podcasting, where you could listen via a flash player, right in the web page. Maybe add a skinning feature, where people could skin their own theme.
All I know is that if Google lets Google Reader sit, without anything new, any longer, the competitors in the field are going to take all of its users. Right now, I would have to put Bloglines on my favorite feed reader list, as far as online feed readers go. If Google could change a few things up, I may just change my mind.
But until then, Google Reader is just that.. a plain ol' feed reader.
Our Partners
No additional features?! You can actually listen to podcasts right in the reader. Also, you can easily share (shift-s!) articles that can automatically be added to a link blog on your webpage (and modified with css to fit your page). Also, quickly tag articles with for instance a person's name and give that person the feed URL for that tag so they can subscribe and see what you've tagged just for them. Also, there is a great mobile interface. And back in the web version, two variations on the river of news: 1-liners or extended. I'd say your review of it being plain and simple is quite off base, there is in fact a lot of added functionality once you use it more!
this review is off the mark. Google Reader is the best online feed reader out there. Pair it with Technorati and you've got a powerful combination.
I have to agree with the previous 2 comments. There is a lot about Google's reader that you didn't discuss. The "share" feature is unique and extremely useful for bloggers. There is also a simple widget you can add that links to your recently shared items. Instead of writing a one line post in order to link to a good article on your blog, you simply "share" the article when you're done reading it.