RSS readers like Google Reader are an amazing time saver if you read a lot of different sites frequently. Even though Google is updating their web apps to a cleaner look, there is still some distraction when you are reading. Reeder for Chrome takes away a lot if that distraction.
When you are in the mood to blaze through the 1000+ new articles in your Google Reader, you want it as minimalistic as possible. All you really need is a list of the site, list of the article headlines and a spot to expand them to read. This is exactly what you get with Reeder for Chrome.
Update: Reeder for Chrome (reederforchrome[dot]tumblr.com) is no longer available.
Getting started with Reeder
Like any application or extension, you will need to download it. Even though it is not an extension in the Chrome Web Store, it still installs the same way.
There are no settings to mess with as far as the extension goes. You can only enable it or turn it off in the Manage extensions part of Chrome’s settings.
Before and after Reeder
Here is a screen shot of the normal Google reader screen you have grown accustomed to.
Now here is what Google Reader looks like after Reeder for Chrome is installed. MMMM minimalism.
As you can see, the condensed view gets rid of some of the clutter in the left sidebar. It also takes up less screen space to display the headlines for the articles. When you click on an article, the white area to the right of the headlines is filled with the article you wanted to read.
This 3 column design makes a little better use of space compared to the standard window Google Reader offers. If you prefer to have the window packed with one article and one article only, you can click the ladder looking icon in the top left of your screen. This changes the view to Expanded view.
This view works just like the standard Google Reader expanded view. What you will see in the expanded view is a lack of buttons. This will be a less distracting reading environment.
Settings
The settings are still there, they are now in the form of drop down menus and not buttons plastered all over your Reader window. You can quickly jump to the next post by clicking on the down arrow at the bottom of the post viewing column.
If you’d like to access the usual Google Reader settings, they are still in the top right corner under the gear icon.
Other options you may need to access like manage subscriptions are now located in the bottom gear icon.
You may be wondering what the checkmark is. Well, that is where you can mark all as read or mark older posts read so you can concentrate on the newer information.
Conclusion
If you read more than a couple websites religiously, you should look into Google Reader. If you are an RSS addict and see your feeds maxing out at 1000+ you will want to give Reeder for Chrome a spin. It will help you power through all of those unread articles those writers sacrificed their fingerprints and contracted carpal tunnel syndrome to write.
Download Reeder for Chrome to make Google Reader more minimalistic. (No Longer available)
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