On My Start Screen: NextGen Reader

I’ve been a Windows 8 user since the beginning and because I’m most often a business user, I live on the desktop, just like those old days of Windows XP or Windows 7. But there are some great modern, native apps that I use and I wanted to highlight one I use every day: NextGen Reader.

Prior to it’s demise, I was a long time user of Google Reader.  Since that service was discontinued, I’ve been on the lookout for the best way to manage the reading of blogs and other RSS feeds. I didn’t necessarily need to read from within a browser and with Windows 8.1, I really wanted to take advantage of the touch interface and what my employer likes to call the “immersive experience” of the modern OS.

NetGen Reader had a version for Window 8.1 and the Windows Phone, which makes it the perfect solution for my feed-reading needs. The backend is powered by feedly.com which ties to my Google Account.
Using Feedly, you can group feeds into different categories, control how feeds organized and then sync that across multiple devices and platforms.

It’s not a free app, but the modest cost gives me some peace of mind that the developers of it will continue to support and improve it going forward.

Now if you’ll, excuse me… I’ve got some reading to do!