Google Reader: A feedreader I'll actually use?
I’m sure most of you know by now, but not too long ago Google Labs updated one of their services, Google Reader. This is a feedreader that lets you collect all your favourite online sources for mental inspiration in one place and tells you whenever there are updates. I never really gave it much of a test drive before, but it doesn’t take much to see that the update is substantial. It’s so good infact, that it might end up being the first feedreader I’ll actually use.
Some people say that the future of computers are web-based applications, making individuals less dependant on a specific computer, as you’ll be able to access all your most important things through any computer with an internet connection. So far the only online application that has taken over any of the local applications that I have ever used frequently is Gmail. It’s far superiour to any of the competing webmail-systems, and in my opinion it matches anything you can use locally on your computer as well. The spamfilter and search function, plus its intuitive and easy-to-use interface is what drew me in.
With their reader, it seems like Google has hit the nail again. At least for me. I’ve used other online feedreaders in the past (Bloglines being the one I have most experience with), but none of them has really had that little extra that was needed to keep me around.
Google Reader however, seems that it has the potential to do just that. What makes it so special, you ask? Well, it’s hard to put down what it is exactly that makes it so good. It has that same “Google touch” which makes Gmail superiour. The whole interface is simple and easy to maneuver. Organizing your feeds in categories, and reading through them is no hassle at all, even if you have hundreds of them. Another brilliant point that seperates it from the rest I’ve tried are the keyboard-shortcuts. I won’t go into detail about that, but if you try it you can see how easy it makes it to control the reader, and why you don’t want to go back to other online-based readers.
One thing I’m really bummed about though, is that it is missing one thing that constitutes Gmail’s excellence, and that is search. I really want to be able to easily search through my feeds. I understand that it might be extremely heavy when you have thousand of articles in your reader, but at least give me the possibility to search through new feeds. If anyone can do that, I’m sure it’s the guys over at the Labs!
So it seems that Google has just given me another application that can actually replace one that I used locally before for various reasons. They’ve now got full control over my mails, as well as practically everything I read online. What’s next, they’ll buy YouTube and control all the videos I watch online as well? At least they should be able to give me targeted ads soon, you’d think!
Oh and I almost forgot, the tracking info for my MacBook has been updated. It seems it is scheduled to be delievered to carrier today, which again will be delievering it on my door. Dare I hope for it to happen this week?
09 okt 06 86 14 booking slot obtained Asus Alpha, Shanghai 09 okt 0609 okt 06 30 10 departed direct NLAMS07 12 okt 0609 okt 06 40 69 accept scanned at EDC NLAMS07 12 okt 0606 okt 06 32 55 flight departed Kuehne & Nagel Shanghai 12 okt 0602 okt 06 30 64 Departed from source Asus Alpha, Shanghai 12 okt 06