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Years later and I'm still not over Google Reader

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It's around this time of the year where I start to look at what apps and services I'm using and if there are better alternatives. The past few years I've been open to trying new RSS readers because I find what's currently available are subpar at best. Maybe it's me and should seek out a more modern way to get my news. I hear many people say that they get their news from Twitter but I'm not on social media all that much and I don't foresee that changing. I guess I'm old school in that I prefer to sit down with my laptop and go to a website and find the news I'm looking for from my go-to sites in one place.


However, the offering currently just seems to have some glaring issues that may be resolved if I paid for them. One problem I'm finding is that some articles do not appear in my current RSS reader of choice. The other thing I'm seeing is that articles are not appearing in real-time. Some articles appear hours later or as I previously stated not at all. I don't have the best memory but I don't recall having these issues with Google Reader. 


Why enjoyed Google Reader soooo much


SImplicity would be why I enjoyed Google Reader so much. Now you have to worry about what features are included in a free tier or if the free tier is even worth it. Some paid tiers still leave off features that should be included, in my opinion. 


Some of the features of Google Reader in 2013 were:


  • a front page that let one see new items at a glance.

  • automatic marking of items as read as they scrolled past (expanded view only).

  • keyboard shortcuts for main functions.

  • choice between list view or expanded view for item viewing (showing either just the story title or including a description, respectively).

  • import and export subscription lists as an OPML file.

  • search in all feeds, across all updates from subscriptions.


From the above-listed features it doesn't (from 2013) feel that RSS readers have not grown much. Google opened the door and the current services are just barely catching up in many areas. 


What I tried so far


Feedly - probably the best of the bunch. It has a nice UI, modern design, and decent free features. Fall short with syncing at times and there is no search function in the free tier. Ads in the free tier do not bug me and the mobile app is just okay on Android. 


Inoreader - A good option that is not as simple as I would like. I suggest staying away from the settings area. Has a solid free tier but syncing is not as good as Feedly’s. There are options to get feeds faster but you have to pay for it. Too many ads on the free tier and the mobile app can use some work. Doesn't feel as modern as Feedly.


I also recently tried The Old Reader and Newsblur but could not get over how dated it looks. 


What I settled on


So I use the combination of two apps. Feedly and Google News. Feedly is my go-to RSS reader but I do wish there was a better alternative. It fits my needs right now but I would like to have feed search in the free tier and better syncing. I also use Google News to follow certain sites in the Following section under Sources. Here articles are organized in order by time published. Nothing appears to be missing and pretty much mirrors the actual website. This may not be the case for all sites so your mileage may vary. 


What I hope happens but I just don’t see it happening at all is Google baking in an RSS reader/Google Reader into the Google News app. Think about it, one could have all the news they want how they want it in one app. Come on Google, I know you can do it!


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