Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
This top-notch feed reader will devour your RSS and Atom feeds, though a few users might find it too basic. Snarfer keenly follows the "keep it simple" adage in every function. An uncomplicated, uncluttered interface follows a generic app design of left-side listed entries with a right-side preview pane. Copy a feed link in your browser and switch to Snarfer, and you'll find the program has already entered the link from the clipboard into your add-feed dialog.
To save an entry, simply drag it to a Save folder. E-mailing an entry and other basic functions are available in the context menu, while helpful wizards make it a snap to add and save Craigslist or eBay searches. Especially helpful is the prominent Quick Search box, though searches can't be limited to a single feed. Feed updates and update intervals are easily set, and users can elect to automatically save entries they have read or have them expire after a certain number saved. You can also import feeds from other readers using OPML.
This is a perfect first feed-reader for newbies, although experienced readers will miss customizations like changing fonts and preview pane location. Nevertheless, we recommend this freeware feed reader for its simplicity, small footprint, presentation, and efficiency.
Publisher's Description
From Snarfware:
Snarfer is an easy, fast and free approach to enjoying RSS, ATOM, and XML feeds. Snarfer comes with hundreds of feeds to choose from, includes a tabbed browser and has wizards to help you construct complex searches for Google, EBay, and Craigslist that update as new results become available. Snarfer can synchronize with the free Bloglines or Google Reader service so you can access your feeds from another location (like the office or an Internet cafe) with a browser.
Snarfer is in the Newsreaders & RSS Readers category of the Browsers section.
What's new in this version: Version 1.0.2 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 67 votes
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Current version:
3.4 starsout of 21 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Excellent from Keep it Simple point of view"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Quick and easy to download.
Usable without getting down into the technical details.
Easy to add the feeds you want to add. Click on the "plus" icon a.k.a. "New" and put the url of the blog or whatever you want feeds from.
Easy to unselect the feeds you don't want.
Folder structure let's you put your blog feeds into Blogs folder, etc.
Works great on my windows 7 box.
Display window is easy to use.Cons
I wish it had a very simple "how to" on the basics.
Summary
Easy to use application to capture the feeds from all the blogs, etc, that you want to stay aware of.
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"Good, but better on Vista than Windows 7"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
RSS feeds in one place, easy to use
Cons
No ability to double click on a feed and have the web version open up in the reader. I used to have this feature when i used it on Vista. Still shopping for a different reader, because this one just doesn't have the features I want any more.
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"Nice reader"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Like the features it provides,toss up between this and feed demon, keeping both for the time being.
Cons
Nothing at moment.
Summary
Great program.
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"Irritating"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
None that I found.
Cons
Have to use tabs, even if you don't want to.
One of those programs that wants to force Google and ebay on you.
Trying to search for help with the help link is useless. It opens their web page, but not much else.Summary
I don't like being told what programs to use or what feeds to read.
It's not intuitive how to add feeds. The only ones that are easy to find are the ones they want you to use.
I couldn't get rid of the Google Translate box on the main page. All of the other Google or ebay links or folders you can opt out of or delete. -
"Decent light-weight RSS reader"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Lightweight but still has plenty of features.
Cons
Seems to use some magical built-in version of IE6 instead of installed IE8. Makes it way too easy to delete feeds, never sure where the selection focus is.
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"The best feed reader I've used"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Lightweight, fast and easy. Loads only one entry in Detail view and has the option to hide old entries, both of which conserve bandwidth. Changing update interval (for one or all feeds) is easy. Can change message font.
Cons
Can't create top-level folders. Can't close "News about Snarfer" tab. Window and panes autosize.
Summary
I like to size list panes so that one mouse wheel scroll moves the bottom entry to the top. With my current setting, this happens with the minimum possible size. But everything is resized every time I exit or resize the app window. Now it has started to open with only title bar visible above Windows taskbar. Not even clearing size cache with CCleaner helped. But other than that, it's perfect.
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"incredibly easy"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Easy to customize personal prefferences make this program a must for the information addicts
Cons
Non-elivant and non-existing or out-to-date preset feeds take a long time to clean up.
The over-all look is dated.Summary
This program still has what it takes after many years, but a new more sleaker look would really help Snarfer
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"Good RSS Thingie...."
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Collects everything cleanly without junk in the way.
Cons
Wish it could download podcasts en masse rather than one at a time.
Summary
Simple program, that I haven't found anything better yet.
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"R.I.P. Snarfer?"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
Simple, easy to add new feeds, able to organize according to my preferences, reliable...
Cons
Stopped loading images making many feeds useless, can no longer connect to internet; no help on website any longer, forum now closed!
Summary
I loved Snarfer - I tried at least 5 other feed aggregators, and this was the one I chose due to its simplicity and reliability... until now. For some reason, Snarfer no longer loads any images from my feeds, making many of them - LOL Cats & Fail Blog being 2 of my faves - useless. When I clicked on the link to the help page, the internal browser never loaded it; nor did it load any other pages, for that matter. A quick visit to the main website was no more helpful, as there is virtually no information there other than screen shots and dev info. Checking the forum, I found that the last post was in September of '09, and at some point a message was posted in red CAPS at the top banner: "FORUMS ARE CLOSED AND NOT MONITORED!!!" When I realized that the most recent release was in June of 2008, it sank in - Snarfer seems to be a dead project, and I have to start my search for an aggregator I can live with all over again. Sigh.
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"Doesn't overwhelm you with things you don't need"
Version: Snarfer 1.0.2
Pros
I found it to be very intuitive and was able to navigate around and add feeds, categorize feeds, and move feeds between categories easily.
Cons
I have to enter 10 characters.
Summary
I had tried several other news readers before trying Snarfer and they either were much more complex than i needed and cumbersome to use. Snarfer was intuitive and easy to adapt to my needs.,
