Update: aNewDomain readers on Google + are telling our Mike Olsen what they plan on doing once Google Reader is dead and gone in July. Watch for that story here.
aNewDomain.net — What’s done is done and there is no sense in dwelling on the past. Google Reader is dead. So be cool, move on and march forward.
Embrace a future without Google Reader. Is it possible? Sure. Check out these Google Reader alternatives I’m rounding up for you. Feedly and NetVibes are two great starts — and there’s an intriguing alternative from Digg coming.
Shortly after Google signaled the end of Reader, Feedly announced a killer feature for Reader users: the ability to sync your Google Reader to Feedly. Do that now — definitely before Google officially shuts down Reader on July 1 — and your feeds shall persist.
Web-based Feedly delivers a more visually driven user interface compared to the sparse, typical Google aesthetic in Google Reader. And there are app versions available. Find Feedly for Android here at Google Play and, here, in Apple iTunes for the Feedly Apple iOS versionNetVibes
Also Web-based, NetVibes takes some visual cues from Reader and offers a familiar, easy-to-use interface, and can easily switch back and forth between a reader view and a widget-based design. Click here for a tutorial from NetVibes on how to easily make the switch from Google Reader to NetVibes.
Digg/Betaworks
I believe the best Google Reader alternative is just on the cusp of reality. Digg just revealed ongoing plans to develop a RSS news reader. Given parent company Betaworks’ reputation for quickly building high quality products, I expect a great reader sooner rather than later.
Additional options include fee-based Newsblur, the visually driven Pulse and the mobile-only Flipboard.
If you are hesitant about relying on Web-based services, Reeder for Mac and FeedDemon for Windows are both feature-rich options.
Note that FeedDemon will be closing soon, too, so grab a copy of the software before it is no longer available.
After choosing a new service, don’t forget to download your Google Reader feed subscription from Google Takeout.
Find the file “subscriptions.xml” in the zip file you download from Google Takeout. Use this file to import your reading list into your new service.
For aNewDomain.net, I’m Mike Olsen. RIP Google Reader.
Exactly.
[…] When Google in March announced it was killing Google Reader this summer, our Mike Olsen responded with some practical advice – RIP Google Reader: Feedly, Netvibes to Mend Your Broken Heart. […]