I’m an avid user of RSS feeds for most of my resource websites (like wpcandy.com, nettuts), video streaming services (hulu.com, fancast.com), and more but the problem I was facing was that the web based reader could not keep up. I was using Pageflakes to view all of my feeds, but between the slow loading time for the site, added with the amount of feeds I had, it was no longer feasible.
My option was essentially nix RSS feeds altogether or find a [Windows] desktop application to handle my feeds. After much googling around, a friend finally recommended that I look into FeedDemon. It’s a Windows (98 and higher) application that would be one stop for any and all of my RSS feeds. Upon downloading FeedDemon and installing it, you are given the option to setup a NewsGator Online account which gives you the ability to be able to access your feeds on your desktop application from a web browser on any computer. Neat, right? You also have the ability to install FeedDemon onto any other [Windows based] computer, and sign your NewsGater account into it–this gives you the chance to synchronize all of your feeds, so you won’t have to sift through RSS feeds that you may have already read.
With FeedDemon you have the ability to add categories, and then add your feeds into those categories. Each category you are also given the opportunity to chose a theme for how it’s styled. But the best part is that you don’t even have to leave FeedDemon ever, to read a full feed (and not just an excerpt.) FeedDemon integrates Internet Explorer (whichever version your PC has) and uses IE to view websites that you click within FeedDemon whether it’s to read more of an article from your RSS feed, or a link that was included in a post you were reading.
The one last advantage might not be for all users, but there is even an iPhone application called NetNewsWire. Again, you are able to use your NewsGator Online account to sync your feeds.
