It’s official: Google Reader is dead.
That’s fine, because I’ve been using Feed Wrangler for a while now, and really like it. I’ve been waiting for Reeder support, and that arrived today (at least for the iPhone), but that doesn’t really help me on my 1st generation iPad. Since I use my iPad as my primary reading device, I now have a problem I didn’t have before: How do I read my daily RSS feeds?
The fact of the matter is that I can’t — at least not as I used to — because the original iPad won’t run iOS 6. Sure, I could use a Fever install and maintain my current version of Reeder. In essence, that would maintain my current reading workflow, but I don’t really feel the need to implement that. So instead, I’ve adapted.
Here’s how I’m getting daily reading done on my original iPad.
- Zite: I still prefer the original version of Zite. My iPad will only run the original version, so I ensure that all of my favorite topics are lined up within Zite so that I have some great reading material every morning.
- Flipboard: Should I decide not to earmark certain sites within Zite, Flipboard comes in handy. I use Flipboard quite regularly as my secondary reading source (it was third in line before Reeder in its current iteration became obsolete to me thanks to Google Reader’s shuttering).
- Instapaper: The app that will get the most use on my original iPad in terms of reading applications is bound to Instapaper going forward. This is a blessing in disguise, as my Instapaper queue can often get unwieldy when unattended. I’m a big fan of reading on the iPad, and Instapaper is (at this point) the most useful reading app on my device, especially considering where I can send articles from within the app (OmniFocus, etc.).
- Newsstand: This is rapidly becoming a more useful option, but since more and more magazines are requiring iOS 6, I don’t know how much longer it will be part of my current setup. That said, with excellent magazines like The Magazine and Matthew Guay’s Techinch Magazine arriving on the scene, Newsstand is definitely something I look forward to using more often once I finally upgrade.
Many of you have already upgraded to new iPads, and that’s fine. I know that I am going to do so shortly as well. In fact, I did have an iPad mini in my possession for a short while and decided that I will make better use of the original format of iPad when I’m ready to level up my iPad device. But for those of you sticking with the original iPad for now, take a look at these options and make the most of your reading experience on the device…while you can.
Photo credit: gerri-jean via SXC.HU
