What’s an RSS News Reader?

Print anything with Printful



An RSS news reader is a small application that allows users to subscribe to website RSS feeds for real-time updates. Many websites offer RSS as a basic form of syndication, and news readers vary in ease of use and functionality. Popular programs include FeedDemon, Omea Reader, and Google Reader. Web-based or application-based, a news reader is a great tool for staying informed.

A Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news reader is a small application for subscribing to website RSS feeds for real-time updates to blogs, newsletters, and web news. RSS news reader is also called an aggregator.

If getting instant Web updates from your favorite online sources is your pleasure, an RSS news reader will keep you informed in less time than it takes to open your phone or check your email. Many websites now offer RSS as a basic form of syndication. These websites have an RSS button, which can be one of several designs. Once a user has the newsreader installed, all they need to do is click the RSS button to subscribe to the feed from that site. The reporter does the rest.

RSS news readers vary in ease of use and functionality. Some news readers incorporate email, podcast functionality, and even User Network (USENET) news. A newsreader can also import RSS feeds from Outline Processing Markup Language (OPML) files or other RSS newsreaders. Still others include blog posting and instant messaging (IM).

While there are many RSS news readers, the rapidly growing popularity of RSS will likely generate a continued onslaught of applications in the future. In some cases, a news reader is nothing more than a browser plug-in, which adds toolbar functionality to your browser without creating a separate program. Mobile RSS news readers work with cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) that have Internet access. Many of these programs are available for free online.

If you are looking for RSS news reader for Windows OS, some popular programs are FeedDemon, Omea Reader, Awasu Personal Edition, Google Reader and SharpReader. For Macintosh users, Shrook Mac RSS Newsreader, Pulp Fiction Mac, NetNewsWire Mac and Google Reader Mac are among the best news readers. If you want a mobile newsreader for your cell phone or PDA, you may want to consider HeadLine Mobile RSS NewsReader or FreeNews.

It’s always a good idea to read user reviews of the latest applications, then try a few newsreaders for yourself. Shareware programs typically have a 30-day free trial, and many news readers are freeware. Among the offers you will undoubtedly discover one with the right organizational capacity, ease of use, required functionality and a person-pleasing interface.
Optionally, websites like Bloglines allow registered users to create a custom, non-public web page that hosts their own RSS feeds. Instead of installing an RSS newsreader, the user just logs into their Bloglines web page to view up-to-date links and subscribed feed titles. From here, the user can click on a title to go to the actual website and read the updated material in full. Using such an account, you may also choose to maintain an optional public blog page with built-in RSS functionality. In that case, the blog becomes part of the server’s searchable database, theoretically helping to promote it.
Web-based or application-based, a news reader will keep you posted on the information you need and want as it becomes available. An RSS news reader is also a great tool for corporate use in an intranet environment, where field reps or sales staff, for example, can be notified of pertinent information when they break. Wherever time is money, this simple application can be a valuable asset.




Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN


Skip to content