Five more RSS Readers: (See the first 18 here)

Back in April I wrote "News on Demand," an overview/review of feed aggregator programs for PC World's July issue. A comparison chart in the print edition listed five programs, but a longer version of the comparison chart was going to be "Web only," so I kept adding reviews past the magazine deadline. These five were submitting in April, but didn't make it through the editing and production process onto the online chart. (There are also differences in formatting, and less-careful editing.) For this short list and the main list, I advise seeing the aggregator software companies' websites for the most up-to-date feature lists. Other than correcting errors, I won't be adding to this list unless I hit the lottery and clear enough time to be fair to all involved.) BOB
Aggregators
Price
Feed types
Pros
Cons
Comments
IntraVnews 1.01
intravnews.com
(Outlook plugin)		 Free for individuals ($30 for comm'l or gov't users) RSS, RDF * Subscription by search, list import, and
* Popup news alerts
* Subscription are Outlook folders and subfolders
* Schedule and download feed contents		 * Outlook integration can be disorienting
* Crowded "My Subscriptions" setup panel has some controls; Outlook's Tools-Options has others.
Requires .NET, Outlook; Win 98SE, XP or 2003; Comparable to NewsGator, minus the multi-platform services. Atom support planned in 1.02. Active support forums. 4 stars
           
My.Feedster
my.feedster.com
(Web-based subscription) 		Free RSS, RDF, Atom * Works with any Web browser and computer
* Feedster weblog search engine and special features for bloggers
* Imports and exports feed lists; creates custom feeds based on search		 * The usual uncertainties about speed and continuity at evolving, free services
* Somewhat complicated "Feedster identity key" system using cookies		 Features go beyond power-searching for bloggers. More versatile than my.yahoo, but not as user-friendly as it or bloglines. 3.5 stars
           
NewzCrawler 1.7rC2 newzcrawler.com
(standalone, embedded browser)		 $25 (free trial version) RSS, RDF, Atom, Usenet * Nested-folder view of feed groups
* News ticker or popup alerts, printabe "newspaper" view, search/filter
* Blogging client
* Reads Usenet newsgroups
 * Help system "cannot find file" error on new install
* Complex array of menu buttons and column flags
 Feature-rich updated program still supports systems back to Windows 95, Explorer 4 or higher. Extensive documentation online. 4 stars
           
WinRSS
Brindys.com/winrss
(standalone, embedded browser)		 Free RSS,
RDF		 * Pop-up tray balloons, speech and"Notifications" window
* Feed-autodetect bookmarklet
* One, two or three-pane viewer
* Multilingual versions
 * Idiosyncratic interface
* Limited control of page layout
* Large logos take up screen space
 From a Spanish company that also does law-office appications. With two different kinds of pop-ups and optional talking cartoon alerts, WinRSS could create a unique work environment. 2.5 stars
           
Yahoo RSS Headlines
my.yahoo.com (beta)
(Web-based subscription) 		Free RSS, RDF, Atom * Uses any browser and computer
* Builds a "Recommended" list based on your previous selections
* Integrated with my.yahoo home page
* Feed autodiscovery		 * Can't mark or delete individual messages, or change parameters for individual feeds
* Layout restrictions, banner ads
* Truncates full-text weblogs to create pseudo-summaries		 Terrific for Yahoo e-mail or group users who already visit my.yahoo. Excellent auto-discovery and search. Service was not in final form when tested. 3.5 stars

Written, April 2004; Web published by Bob Stepno, June 9, 2004