NetNewsWire for Mac

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET Staff on November 08, 2008

This well-crafted, standalone newsreader makes an ideal choice for both novices who've never heard of an RSS feed and advanced users looking to put some oomph and flexibility into their reading habits. We particularly liked NetNewsWire's setup wizard, which allows you to subscribe to an unlimited number of popular RSS feeds by simply checking boxes. The program also provides links to several other RSS directories.

NetNewsWire's interface is very good, but its default setting, which places the headline and browser panes side by side, is somewhat clumsy. This is easily remedied with the buttons that sit right at the top of each folder and each item. The utility's Watch Channels feature searches for news items containing user-specified keywords and places them in a separate group so they're easier to find. We're also fond of the app's News Bins function, which allows you to archive a story simply by dragging a headline and placing it in a storage bin in the left-side column.

Another compelling feature is the integrated podcast manager, which will automatically send new podcasts to your music jukebox. There's a support forum where you can post questions and get answers from other users, and NewsGator has a free Webware client so you can check your feeds wherever you are. We strongly recommend using NetNewsWire to soothe your hunger.