The word is out and there is no point brooding over it. Yes you heard it, Google will unplug the google reader service from July. Lets sulk it in and try to move on. After all how often have free services lived for eternity. What are we left with now? Just an OPML file I guess. 🙂
The options are not many, either we switch to an alternate RSS platform or to a desktop client. I am not quite sure if any of us really would want to switch to a desktop client after using google reader for years. The main feature of google reader is that you can access it from any where and any type of device. If you just want to use the opml (exported from Google reader) file with an aggregator the wiki page has a huge list of aggregators with a detailed comparison here, you can choose one that suits you. Almost every client mentioned in that list is a desktop client and hence you most likely will lose syncing.
What am I going to do?
I am going with Feedly. Well you ask, Feedly is a browser extension or an app that runs with Google reader in the backend for sync. Exactly, but not anymore. Their blog now reads that they were expecting the demise of Google reader and they have created their own backend. So when google reader is powered down, feedly’s backend servers will kickin and keep you in sync. Besides I was already their user till I switched to Reeder on my iphone. I like Feedly as well, you can read my review of feedly here. Just that I liked Reeder more on the iphone.Now that google reader will be killed I am curious to find out what direction Reeder will take, given Silvio says
Don’t worry, Reeder won’t die with Google Reader.
— Reeder (@reederapp)
To me its better to stay with the company I know, have used and trusted rather than try something totally new unless its Feedafever. So just start using Feedly and you wont even know if Google unplugged Reader, Feedly will take care of everything for you (hopefully with out a glitch) when reader is gone. If you aren’t convinced about Feedly yet, you can try other options mentioned here.