Google Reader has been the second most used app on my phone, behind only Twitter. It works well, especially since the last update which fixed a major annoyance – when going back to the feed list it no longer takes you back to the top of the list. But, recently I found an even better alternative – D7 Google Reader.
The moment you open D7 you will notice the difference. It’s less stark. The beautifully graphic interface is welcoming. It immediately feels more usable. There are friendly icons to lead you to wherever you want to begin – Reading List, Subscriptions, Starred, Shared, Recommended, and Read Items. It’s a sharp contrast to Google’s own Reader app.
When you click on a feed you will notice another difference. You will get more than just headlines, you will see the first two lines of each article. That may not be a big deal, but it’s a nice touch.
The menu button allows you to do a number of things including Share, but the Share option, unfortunately does not include email. Preferences lets you choose from a number of customization options such as changing the Theme and various ways to display subscriptions and articles. It also allows you to follow people and add subscriptions.
There are both free and paid versions of D7 Google Reader. The free version is ad-supported and the paid version retails for a whopping $1.57.