It's Official: I (Heart) NetNewsWire
I'm addicted to RSS. And I've tried most web-based reader/aggregators out there: Google Reader, Bloglines, MyYahoo...
This week, Newsgator announced that their cross-platform newsreaders are now free. Download and try the newly-upgraded desktop RSS reader for the Mac. It's called NetNewsWire, and so far I'm in love.
There has been much discussion lately about the virtues of a web-based reader vs. one strictly for the desktop. (Adam Pash has a thoughtful analysis posted over at Lifehacker.) One key problem I've had with web-based readers is that you have to be online to see your feeds. And because I'm constantly en route to client meetings, I can't easily do my reading while commuting via plane/ train/ car. Another key issue is that web readers aren't very customizable - it's hard to clip and read stories later on.
NetNewsWire is a stand-alone application, so my feeds show up in one window. If I want to click and get to an outside website, I can do that (as long as I'm online) - and NetNewsWire will also save a copy of the page I'm visiting for easy access later on.
I enjoy getting and reading my news this way... And in a way, it reminds me a bit of Amazon's Kindle. A portable way of carrying all of the news with me that I want to read in a day.
Again and again, aggregation is the next frontier. I'd really like to see news organizations getting into the research and development of content aggregators. Doesn't just have to be news stories... I'm thinking aggregated relational databases, interactive maps, public records...
