It’s pretty rare that I get excited about any other RSS reader app apart from Google Reader – as I’ve mentioned before, for me GoogReader is probably my favorite iPhone app, despite being ‘just’ a web app.
The only other reader app that has ever really grabbed me is NetNewsWire (know as Newsgator on Windows) – as it is a full-on desktop app – and iPhone native app – with a ton of good features and lots of power. My only issue with NetNewsWire, and the only reason I don’t use it regularly, is that it doesn’t sync with Google Reader. Apparently that is going to change soon though – or at least the developer is 95% sure it will in its next versions for Mac and iPhone …
In a post on his blog site today Brent Simmons, the creator of NetNewsWire, gives a major update on where he is at with NetNewsWire. Here are some of the highlights from that post:
No estimates yet of when the new versions will be out but it sounds like they’re both being worked on very actively now …
Here’s the scoop: both versions are in extremely active development. I’m currently working on NetNewsWire 3.2 and 4.0 for Mac and NetNewsWire 2.0 for iPhone.
I don’t have time estimates — any guesses would be completely wrong. But nobody’s more impatient than I am.
Support for Google Reader sync is the plan …
The plan is to add Google Reader syncing to NetNewsWire 3.2/Mac and NetNewsWire 2.0/iPhone also. I can’t promise for sure for-sure, but I’m 95% sure.
More on NetNewsWire 2.0 for iPhone …
I’ve spent the last six months or so mostly in iPhone-land, working on the foundation for NetNewsWire 2.0. Along the way we discovered it was generalizable and that there’s a business doing private-label apps based on the same foundation that will power NetNewsWire 2.0. The highest-profile example is All Things Digital — if you use it, you are in a way using an early version of NetNewsWire 2.0.
It turns out that learning how to do good news readers on iPhone is harder than I expected. Almost the entire ballgame is about performance.
Simmons also mentions that a lot of time has been spent on the new version’s UI, since ‘NetNewsWire 1.0 for iPhone is quite spartan’.
So now I do feel excited about an RSS reader that is not Google Reader. I am really psyched to see new desktop and iPhone versions of NetNewsWire with Google Reader sync. If they’re done well (which I fully expect they will be), they will provide the first real alternative to GoogReader for me. 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
"Curing cancer" better be one of those unmentioned new features, because Simmons has sure taken damn long enough with these updates. He's going to have a real job ahead winning back the users that have abandoned the NNW platform in the last year+ of total silence from him.
Reada – ouch, sounds like you are a very frustrated user. I think you've got a good point though – it will be tough (or impossible) to win back some users.
I know I will still be checking this out for sure if Google Reader sync is added though …
I'm looking forward to see what's new. I've been using NNW on Mac, iPhone, and web because of the versatility despite the lack of software updates.
Eric – I don't use NetNewsWire very often at all – but whenever I have, I've really enjoyed all its features. Really hope they manage to add Google Reader sync.
And for some reason just typing that reply reminds of those 'most interesting man in the world' adverts – I want to end this with 'Stay thirsty my friends'
I love NetNewsWire. Google sync would be amazing, already use NNW full-time, but really wish it had Google sync, that's the one feature it absolutely needs.
Yes it really is. For me, it's become a pre-requisite for reader apps – but I have been finding Google Reader more and more flaky lately as well. I will certainly be giving NNW a long, long look if and when they add this feature.
Hey, just so you know NNW for iPhone now syncs with Google Reader! Yays!
Yes it does, and we've posted about that a few times.
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