Back to Desktop Feed Reader

It started with desktop feed reader, but I made the switch about 2 years ago to Google Reader, thinking it would solve the problem of syncing not just the list of subscribed feeds but also the read/unread statuses of the feeds between different computers. Now, I’m back to desktop feed reader.

Several reasons for the switch:

• I no longer read feeds on multiple computers, but only on a laptop and iPhone.
• No more ~1-2 sec wait for switching between feeds.
  This is the main reason for the switch. The ~1-2 sec wait when I switch between feeds in Google Reader constantly lose my attention. During the 1-2 sec wait, I often find myself browsing other sites like Ping.sg and eventually even end up getting stuck in the quicksand of Wikipedia. Yes, I’m a wikipedia-addict. And yes, my attention span has shorten tremendously probably due to the over-usage of computers.
• Managing feeds is fun now
  With desktop feed reader, managing feeds is so much fun now. Ctrl+click, select multiple feeds, unsubscribe. That’s so much more efficient than having to manage one by one.

Now I’m rediscovering the joy of feeds reading after I’ve almost stopped reading feeds due to the frustration of using a web-based feed reader.

Even though the web apps has revolutionize my reliance on a lot of desktop apps, sometimes the speed and ease-of-use of a desktop app still beats the no-download-requirement of web apps.

April 29th, 2008 / Trackback