Knowing What you Want

Since Web-based readers allow you to see your favorite RSS feeds — no matter what computer you're using anywhere in the world — you might wonder why anyone would want a client-based reader.

The answers are many. For one thing, if the company you work for publishes RSS feeds for internal communications, it will probably want to keep those feeds private. That means you'll need a username and password to access your intranet feeds. But Web-based RSS readers can't authenticate themselves to get inside your firewall in this way.

Other people simply prefer to read their RSS streams within an application they use constantly. Some like their RSS feeds to show up as a toolbar in their browser, while others want RSS to be displayed side-by-side with their incoming e-mail messages. Still others prefer a standalone RSS application.

All of these considerations mean that there's no single "best" RSS reader for everyone. The answer for you will depend upon which environment, if any, you want your RSS reader to be integrated with.

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