Companies are in a race to become the next Google Reader. Feedly recently announced it was independent of Google Reader in a recent update, and Digg is about to launch a beta version of an RSS feed reader.
Digg announced on its blog today that the company will roll out the first phase of Digg Reader next week. In addition, all users should have access June 26.
“We’re doing the launch in phases because, as you might have guessed, RSS aggregation is a hard thing to do at scale, and we want to make sure the experience is as fast and reliable as possible,” Digg wrote on the company blog.
The initial beta release should have migration from Google Reader and sync with mobile apps. But it will only be available for Apple users to start. The Android app is one of the things the company will be working on in the next couple of weeks.
Digg has said before – and has mentioned it again – that its Reader will be a “freemium” product. The basics of the Reader will be free for all users, as well some not-yet-mentioned features.
Obviously, many Google Readers will check this out, but it might be too late for some users, as they’ve already integrated to new RSS readers such as Feedly or The Old Reader.
I can only speak for myself when I say I started using Feedly weeks ago and have learned the little intricacies of the program. I like the quick share to Twitter, and that I can move items quickly to Evernote. As an Android user, I wouldn’t even get to use the Digg Reader for several weeks.
While many Digg users are looking forward to a new product, part of me feels it started on this venture too late for many who have already joined another platform.
