What is RSS Feed?

Given the vast number of Web pages and content providers on the Internet, RSS technology allows you to identify the content that interests you most and have it delivered directly to your desktop. Thousands of sites have developed feeds and you can view them all, regardless of source, using any feed reader. The most popular and descriptive definition of RSS is "Really Simple Syndication." You can think of a Web site's feed as a text broadcast of the site's content. Once you subscribe to a feed, you'll always have the latest headlines because your RSS reader periodically retrieves the most recent feed additions.

Where can I get an RSS reader?

There are many kinds of readers, from stand-alone applications to Web-based services, to those built into a Web browser. You will either need to download and install an application or install an RSS-ready browser on your computer. Follow the instructions provided on the Web sites listed below to install or configure your reader. Most of the applications are free and easy to use. Please take a look through the tabs above to find the read that best suits you.

The following Web browsers have built-in feed readers:

Mozilla Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Opera (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows)
Safari (Mac)

The following e-mail programs have built-in feed readers

Mozilla Thunderbird (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Outlook 2007 (Windows)
IntraVnews (Windows, plug-in for Microsoft Outlook)
R|Mail (Web-based service that sends feeds to any email account)

All of these services are free, and will work with any recent Web browser. All require registration and show ads as you read your feeds.

My Yahoo
Google Reader
Bloglines
Newsgator
My MSN
My AOL

These programs run on your computer, and will check feeds automatically whenever they're running. Those marked with a "$" are commercial software; the others are available for free.

Omea Reader (Windows)
SharpReader (Windows)
FeedDemon (Windows, $)
NewzCrawler (Windows, $)
NetNewsWire Lite (Mac)
NetNewsWire (Mac, $)