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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > iOS Apps > NewsRack vs. Reeder

NewsRack vs. Reeder
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subego
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Jun 13, 2010, 03:43 PM
 
So far I've tried NewsRack and Reeder.

I've only used Reeder for a day now, but I'm liking it far more than NewsRack.

1) Reeder has a reasonable placement for the buttons which track through articles; where your left thumb ends up if you are holding the thing normally. NewsRack has them up at the top (exactly like in the Mail app), and this gives you a vicious case of crab hand within moments. Even so, Reeder's buttons could be bigger. It's not that they're too small, it's just that there's no reason for them not to be bigger. There's blank space there... Use it. Likewise, the buttons are only on the left side, so southpaws get the shaft, not that you aren't used to that.

2) Reeder uses a grey background for articles, which is nice on the eyes. The full-on white of NewsRack gives me eye fatigue for whatever reason.

3) I'm almost positive NewsRack isn't downloading every article. This was further evidenced by the 4,000 unread stories that showed up when I synced Reeder with Google for the first time.

4) The pinch interface in Reeder (which you use to drill down or up in folders) is kind of nifty.

5) NewsRack changes from one story to the next faster than Reeder. Reeder uses a "slide" animation between each story, which takes time. Also, your eye follows that animation pretty much whether you want to or not, so there's even more time while your eyes settle. On NewsRack you can zip through articles as fast as you can bang the screen with your crab hand.

6) NewsRack has an option for a Mail-like badge for unread stories which you can see on the home screen, Reeder doesn't.

7) Reeder seems to rely on Google Reader to the point of it being a requirement. I can't find a way to add feeds, though I could have missed it. I'm pretty sure I hit every button. NewsRack works either way.

8) Reeder seems slower when it comes to loading some images onto the article page.


Tl;dr. I'd say Reeder is superior to NewsRack in almost every way excepting speed, and it's benefits outweigh those issues.


I've already spent the money on both, ask questions until your heart is content.
( Last edited by subego; Jun 15, 2010 at 11:45 AM. )
     
Big Mac
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Jun 13, 2010, 07:56 PM
 
Links?

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 13, 2010, 11:02 PM
 
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 13, 2010, 11:04 PM
 
One more tick in NewsRack's favor which I forgot is that it's a universal app.
     
-Q-
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Jun 14, 2010, 07:42 AM
 
My biggest problem with NewsRack is that it doesn't seem to reliably sync with my Google Reader account. Any articles I read on the iPad don't show up marked as 'read' on the Mac when I check there later in the day. Syncing seems to be fine with Reeder.
     
stabilo
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Jun 14, 2010, 03:03 PM
 
I also experienced that...
Reeder seems to be much smoother and better for the eyes
     
mdc
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Jun 14, 2010, 05:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
6) NewsRack has an option for a Mail-like badge for unread stories which you can see on the home screen, Reeder doesn't.
Settings > Reeder > Show Unread Badge?

I've been using NewsRack since I got my iPad since it was Universal. When The Early Edition came out with version 1.1 with Google Reader importing I tried that but wasn't completely sold on it. The UI is neat but the actual reading of articles left a lot to be desired.

When Reeder came out I switched over to it and deleted both NewsRack and The Early Edition. I really like Reeder and it is my daily RSS feed reader.

I have one issue and that's if I am holding the device in portrait mode sometimes I will try scroll up or down and it'll try scroll left or right. It's not the end of the world but it is a little annoying when it happens. Other than that I am really liking it as my RSS feed reader.
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 15, 2010, 11:44 AM
 
Originally Posted by mdc View Post
Settings > Reeder > Show Unread Badge?
I have a sneaking suspicion you don't really mean your question as a question...


Holy crap! There's like 400 other options there!
     
mdc
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Jun 15, 2010, 05:15 PM
 
Yeah, sorry, not sure why the question mark is there.
     
subego  (op)
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Jun 16, 2010, 07:43 PM
 
No worries. I'm just giving you a hard time.
     
ajprice
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Jul 2, 2010, 06:55 PM
 
Just downloaded Pulse News Mini, the iPhone version of the reader originally on the iPad. Like it a lot so far .

Pulse News Mini for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store



Scrolls up and down for different feeds, left and right for stories within each feed. There are a few feeds already included, and more can be added by search or Google Reader account.

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
   
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