Alcides Fonseca

40.197958, -8.408312

NetNewsWire 3.2b review

Since I can remeber I have been using Google Reader as my default feed manager and reader. It works across all my devices (pda, notebook, desktop, and other people’s pc) and I haven’t seen any other option with such a good mobile interface.

I’ve tried a Adobe Air RSS reader that would sync with Google Reader, but it sucked like hell, so I my hopes for this new feature in NetNewsWire were not high.

For the short time of usage I gave it, the sync worked (Haven’t noticed the folder disruption), but it’s not seamless, you know it happens somehow in the background and it takes time (specially when you have got nearly 600 feeds you subscribe to).

Secondly, I have used GReader for years, so I might be biased here, but I find the inline content much more useful than the 3-panel NetNewsWire uses. I use the same view in Mail.app (which I prefer to gmail) since I want to read every email. But in my RSS feed, I just want to skim over the items, and open in a new tab those that are interesting. So I don’t actually read anything in my feed reader, except when in my mobile phone. How would I appreciate the webdesign of some of the blogs I subscribe to?

The last and more important reason I use Google Reader is the social features, that allow me to share news with my friends (and receive those shared by them). This is incredible valuable for me. Until NNW implements the sharing feature, I am not using it. How would I maintain my current position of King of the Reader?