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Google Launches Google Reader at Web 2.0

Posted by Zonk on from the new-way-to-fly dept.

Darren writes "Google Reader, an online RSS reader, is currently being demo'd at the Web 2.0 conference. It apparently 'makes it easier to keep up with your ever-expanding reading list of content from across the web.' Here's the tour about how it works."

9 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. er, redundant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Feeds are feeds I suppose, but why not let Drudge or whoever do it?

  2. It's slow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Very. Very. Very slow. It imports nested OPML, however.

  3. Easter egg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting


    There's an easter egg, if you subscribe to Apple's Hot News RSS -feed.

  4. A sign of things to come? by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    While it's well known that Google has an ub3r loadsharing cluster of 10k+ machines, running a custom version of Linux, and probably many more mini-clusters distributed around the globe, I wonder how much more CPU load they can really take.

    I'm guessing their 10k cluster was probably underused when they started off with just basic search and indexing as their primary functions. Over time, they brainstormed over how else to put their massive resources to use. But now that they've released a large number of presumably *very* resource-intensive services, and are supporting an evergrowing number of users, I wonder if this Slashdotting is a sign of things to come.

    Some of their resource intensive services that come to mind (probably in a decreasing order of hogginess):

    1. Search/Indexing.
    2. Google Earth.
    3. Google Maps.
    4. Gmail/Google Groups/Blog
    5. Google Video (lower because of low usership currently).
    6. Google Images.
    7. Other assorted stuff.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
    1. Re:A sign of things to come? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Its a google labs beta, get over yourself. Google can easily grow their cluster, data pipe, etc.
      I have seen lots of these google labs things get slashdotted over the years.
      Haven't you heard, they are (twisting moustache, adjusting monacle) billionaires !!!!
      Maybe you don't realize just how rich they are right now.

  5. RSS For The Great Unwashed? by Oynk · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I hope that this will help me to explain the value of RSS to my non-tech inclined friends and family. RSS has completely changed my web experience, again. When tabs arrived I had a simliar experience. I felt more empowered to manage my own web experience. Eventually I was auto-loadind 30 or more tabs. I was drowning again...until I caught on to RSS.

    RSS saves me time. I absorb less garbage stimuli (ads, images, meandering sites) and I can put my limitied time and energy into the things that truly interest me. I am a fan of RSS and cant wait to see if Google can serve it up simply to those who recoil at another intimidating internet acronym.

    O.

  6. orangoo.com feed reader by amix3k · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have spend some time on my own little feed reader (check out Orangoo.com. And testing Googles feed reader, I really feel mine is better for actually reading feeds ;-)

    - It is very simple and made for reading feeds - - not finding them. It uses some Ajax to make the interface more dynamic.
    - It supports all versions of RSS + Atom.
    - It keeps the count on what items you have read
    - Bookmark items with del.icio.us
    - It's made with Python ;)
    - and more

    Try it out! Here is a screenshot: http://www.orangoo.com/static/screenshot.png

  7. Not load tested? by nzgeek · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My first impressions? It's excrucuatingly slow, counter intuitive, and just generally sucks the big one. I mean if the future of "Web 2.0 is an animated Loading... dialog, then I'll just stick with 1.0 thankyou very much.

    Seriously, it troubles me that in the rush to AJAXify everything, we seem to be going back to dialup days just when everything was starting to run smoothly on broadband. Sure I can load a 1000 element javascript array and do sorting and searching on the client side, but with today's connections and server hardware, what's the big deal with a page refresh?

    Google reader vs Bloglines illustrates this brilliantly.

    --
    gadgetophile.com
  8. Re:Interesting by turtled · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Has anyone seen the RSS "Web Clips" in your Gmail? I have 4 addresses, and only one has it. Upwards of 10 others with gmail don't have it. It is in the settings area on what feeds you want, and shows a non-intrusive scrolling line above the topmost email. Is this the same?

    --
    "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud