Getting started with RSS feeds

There are several different ways of accessing feeds and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are a growing number of programmes available for both PC and Mac - see the sidebar on the right for links

Desktop software programmes

Dedicated software programmes you install on your computer are small and generally easy to use. The free versions are perfectly adequate for general use though there are paid versions which may offer more configurability.

Web-browsers

Browser-based services make it possible to read RSS feed subscriptions from any computer, rather like a webmail service.

Some web browsers such as Firefox and Safari recognise feeds.

Web-based services

Yahoo, MSN and Google all offer news reader services which are accessed through your browser.

See subscribing to feeds for help on putting feeds into a reader.