Monday, January 1, 2018

In with the new! (goodbye Feedly. Hello Inoreader)

For anyone else using Feedly news reader's IOS/Iphone app: You're NOT nuts! They did just silently drop supporting landscape mode a month or so ago during a recent update.

Here's the nuts & bolts: (buried down in the comments block, in response to dismayed users concerned landscape wasn't working any more).

     ...sorry, we deprecated landscape mode on mobile to simplify support for safe areas for devices like iPhone X. It is allowed for full-screen videos, though.
Thank you for understanding.

Ok, to be fair, they _did_ announce it.... Sort of. Well, what else do you think they meant with this?...

New Layout

The new Feedly app is optimized for the iconic iPhone notch and respects the bottom home area.
Hmmm. From my perspective:  Nope! Non-negotiable!
  • Zero interest in an Iphone X ('Na gonna buy a phone without a headphone jack.  Active disinterest in hackable facial recognition. No need for 'IphoneX nooch'.
    And I'm neither "cool", nor does my "status" need burnishing via my choice of silly tech toy)
  • I'm also sincerely _tired_ of apps built for folks with wee widdle finga'tips, and 4x magnifying eyes, to use locked portrait mode
  • And specifically in this niche: I consistently read news/rss in landscape mode. It's BIGGAH, easier to ⚆*see*⚆, and generally a less claustrophobic experience.
  • I also type with the bigger landscape keyboard (with it's handy cursor keys and same-screen punctuation).
So, when Feedly slavishly chases the IphoneX niche, over the needs of their core existing user base, and permanently removes a core ease-of-use feature, it's time to move on.

Enter 'InoReader':
  • Functionally similar. 
  • Does NOT require handing over social media details (Feedly requires use of your Google logon). 
  • Takes a few minutes to dump out an opml from Feedly, and import it direct into InoReader. 
  • Inoreader also does not restrict the # of feed sources you can subscribe to with the free version.
  • There's a $14.99/yr "Starter" subscription, if you'd like to drop the ads.
  • Even sports a pretty similar UI to Feedly on a pc browser. 
What's not to like?
I fled from the abandoned Google Reader, to Feedly, in Nov 2014. And now, in Dec 2017, I'm fleeing Feedly for InoReader. I guess progress marches on. ( ‘_>’)

Feedly vs Inoreader detailed comparison as of 2018 - Slant