RSS readers: the top 5

In business, if you snooze, you lose. Sometimes just getting through your email is time-consuming enough, let alone surfing your favourite Web sites for breaking news that can give you a competitive edge. With Really Simple Syndication (RSS), however, the news comes to you. Subscribe only to the sources you want, and then filter those results by searching via keywords if you like.

Two basic varieties of newsreader exist. Most are standalone applications that run in the background on your desktop, automatically updating headlines regularly with newsfeeds from your subscribed Web sites and blogs. In this category, we look at Awasu, FeedDemon and RSSReader -- three popular standalone readers that offer free trials and paid premium versions.

A second group of newsreaders plugs into applications already running on your PC. For instance, NewsGator works with Microsoft's Outlook, populating Inbox folders with headlines from subscribed channels. Pluck, on the other hand, works with Internet Explorer.

		Awasu  Since Awasu is free, you have nothing to lose (well, maybe a few hours) by giving it a try. We recommend it.

		FeedDemon  FeedDemon's excellent interface makes it a top-flight RSS newsreader.

		NewsGator  NewsGator is a worthwhile RSS newsreader for anyone who lives inside Outlook, but the rest of us should look elsewhere.

		Pluck  Pluck's ease of use, flexibility and tight browser integration make it one of our favourite RSS readers.

		RSS Reader  This is a nice introduction to RSS for newcomers, but it lacks a help file.