I don't know, but it just seems like RSS is so under-rated.  It certainly takes a backseat to Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Alltop, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and so many other online services that bask in the glory of media attention and daily mention basically everywhere.  Some even declare that RSS is dying, soon to be replaced by Twitter (or whomever else.)

So whatever happened to the good old RSS feed?  Truth be told, there are way too many clients available, how in the world do you pick one?  It might seem like a lot to manage and keep with, as well as syncing across multiple PC's.  I think this is why many people have ditched favorite services such as Google Reader for organized browser bookmarks instead.

That just won't cut it for me.  I want access to all of my news in one convenient spot so I don't have to navigate to individual sites just to see if it's something I want to read or not.  I like being able to quickly scroll through headlines, mark favorites, send things to Instapaper if I don't have time to read them right away, and navigate to only those full websites I'm interested in.

I've been using Google Reader for the main fact that it runs on any platform, has a great iPhone client, and will effectively "sync" on any machine, given that your read/unread status is stored in Google's magical servers.  Yeah, it can be slow (especially if you have lots of friends on the service) but I don't, so it's not slow for me.

However, the MobileRSS reader for iPhone, an app downloadable from the App Store, takes mobile RSS reading to a whole new level.

This nifty little program syncs directly with Google Reader.  Read a feed on your device, and it instantly syncs with Google and updates your status.  You can organize feeds by folders and your Google folder structure is ported intact.

Navigating through individual feeds is fast, pleasurable, and straightforward.  None of the horrible slowdown problems that plague the NetNewsWire iPhone client can be found here, at least not in my experience.

Images embedded into RSS feeds are displayed clearly and integrated into the post, something I found Google Reader's iPhone client didn't do as well or as seamlessly.

It has a decent integrated browser, allowing you to read full original posts.

Another feature of this RSS reader that I absolutely love is the integration of 3rd party services, namely Instapaper and Twitter.  You can easily tweet the article that you're reading or send it to Instapaper with just a tap.

I can't really think of any significant downsides to this app, other than that it's bound to slow down the more feeds and articles therein that you throw at it.  To give you an example, I subscribe to about 150+ feeds organized into folders and there was no crippling slowdown; although scrolling wasn't liquid smooth per se, it was just fine for me.  It's really the best RSS reader I've found for the iPhone (second only to Google's web app.)

My conclusion is that if you're one of the people still devoted to and using RSS on a daily basis (and have an iPhone) you definitely need to check this out.  It's available at the App Store for what I hear is a regular price of $4.99 - and as of today it's on sale for $2.99.  Worth every penny.

Many, if not most of my posts here, are infused with some Mac-ery goodness - no surprise to the rest of the blogging community, journalists, or social media freaks (whom many of which are Apple-heads.)

What about pretty much everyone else, though?  Doesn't it get old hearing everybody yap their traps about how awesome Apple is and constantly diss Windows like the family outcast?  Well, be annoyed no more, as Redmond's latest creation, Windows 7, is super-slick - and rights most of the wrongs perpetrated by the abomination typically known as Vista.

Windows 7 Is Stable

From my experience so far, I can declare that Windows 7 is pretty stable and doesn't crash (or otherwise get wonky) anywhere nearly as bad as Vista.  Even on my Dell Mini 9 (my test machine so far) multiple applications open, run, close, and open again with no issues.  I almost never require a reboot.  It was also much easier to set everything up and the Control Panel feels much more stable and usable.

Windows 7 Feels Faster

Yes, you're hearing this right: it feels faster to me than XP.  Applications open and run faster on my Dell Mini 9, which is pretty amazing considering the specs of the machine.  That being said, I did a completely fresh and clean install of 7 rather than an "upgrade," which many people will undoubtably do.  I'm comparing the speeds between a clean install of XP, also, so I'm inclined to believe what I'm experiencing is real.

Windows 7 Looks Awesome

The visual bling in Windows 7, Aero, is very, very nice.  It looks a lot like Vista but adds some neat shine effects on the taskbar items, and runs well even on my lower-spec machine.

Vastly Improved Taskbar and Aero Peek

I hated the simple, status quo taskbar in every version of Windows up until this one.  Compared to Expose on a Mac, it just felt sluggish to navigate from app to app, and I never liked alt-tabbing to select apps.  Windows 7 changes all that, and is arguably better than Expose.

Hover over an icon in the taskbar, and a list of all windows within that app will pop up, allowing you to easily select which one you like - much better than OS X's Stacks, in my opinion.

Alt-Tab through apps and you'll get a full window preview instead of a tiny icon.

Hover your mouse pointer over the little tab in the lower right hand corner to activate Aero Peek and reveal what's on your desktop; click to go to your desktop.

All of these functions work together to make switching windows and apps pretty seamless and arguably more efficient (and less eye-straining) than repeated use of Expose.

Window Gestures (a.k.a. Snap and Shake)

There are some handy window gestures/shortcuts you can use, too.  My favorite is the side-by-side pane view, also known as Snap; simply drag a window to the right or left side of the screen to dock it there and reduce it to exactly half your screen size.  You can easily compare two windows this way.  You can also drag a window to the top of the screen to maximize it and drag back down to restore it to its former size.  You can even "shake" a window with your mouse to close all other open windows.  OS X doesn't really do any of this and it all feels seamless and is quite useful.

Will I Switch...?

No.  My heart still lies with OS X, and I feel it's an overall superior package for looks, usability, and reliability.  I'm married to lots of Mac exclusive applications that simply can't run on Windows such as RapidWeaver, Scrivener, Boxer, and numerous others.  As such, I'll continue using OS X on my "main" machines for work and for play.

However, I've renewed my vows with my Dell Mini 9 running Windows 7.  It's become a much more useful and productive little machine due to this new OS, which I cannot and will not mock.  As far as I'm concerned, Bill's done something right, and I hope it keeps getting better.  Who knows, I might even build a tricked-out Windows 7 box someday!

In yet another flurry of Apple updates, perhaps well-timed to synchronize quite nicely with the Windows 7 launch, numerous hardware improvements and additions abound.  Here's the synopsis and some opinions from a fellow Mac geek.

iMac

The iMac lines got one of the most extensive overhauls, with an new, slicker all-aluminum design, LED backlit displays, higher resolutions, and similar pricing.   These new models are a much better value than the older ones, due to beefier performance as well as the wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse being included.  You can pick from two models: a 21" version at $1199 and a huge 27" version for $1699.

More information at Apple.com

Mac Mini

The Mac Mini series is considered by many to be a "niche" product, but I'm not quite sure why.  It's a great, low-cost way to get into desktop computing with a Mac, and they're pretty powerful in their own right.  As usual, there are two standard configurations: a $799 premium version with 4GB of RAM, a 2.53 gHz Intel Core 2 Duo, and a 320GB HDD, as well as a $599 version with 2GB of RAM, a 160GB HDD, and a 2.26 gHz Core 2 Duo.  Not bad!  Apple's even introduced a $999 Mac Mini server, which will probably appeal to a limited audience, but still cool.  These new Minis are significantly faster and more decked out than mine!  Time for an upgrade?

More Information at Apple.com

Unibody MacBook

Apple also decided to upgrade the MacBook with a new, glossy plastic unibody shell.  For just under a grand, you get an LED backlit display, a multi-touch trackpad, a battery with a purported 7 hours of life, 2 gigs of installed RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 gHz processor.  Definitely a nice improvement, but I question why most users wouldn't upgrade to the slightly more expensive but way better 13" MacBook Pro.

More Information at Apple.com

Magic Mouse

Let me get one thing straight.  I love Apple, their software, and their accessories.  But I HATE the Mighty Mouse.  It is one of the most overpriced, crappiest mice I have ever used.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it... when it actually worked.  The design was so flawed, even the tiniest pieces of dirt would gum up the little BlackBerry style scrolly-ball and bork it.  It was impossible to disassemble.  I ended up completely destroying it out of anger, and am now using a $7 Dynex two button mouse.

Maybe, just maybe, the Magic Mouse will right these wrongs.  At $69, it ain't cheap, but at least there's no scroll ball to get coated with schmutz and break.  Rather, it utilizes the same beloved multi-touch interface ala iPhone and the new trackpads.  It's reported to work pretty well, and I might just pick one up after giving it a test at the Apple Store...

More Information at Apple.com

Other Minor Updates - Time Capsule, Apple Remote, and AirPort Extreme

Amidst all of the hubbub, the folks at Cupertino managed to squeak in a few smaller things.  First, both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule get performance boosts, with backups to the Time Capsule (reportedly) up to 60% faster.

More Information at Engadget

In what I consider to be the smallest update by far, the Apple Remote has been given a brand new aluminum shell.  Looks kinda like the Nano only smaller and less cool.  Personally, I wouldn't ever have one unless it was given away for free.  It can be yours for only $19.

More Information at Engadget