Newsgator

Outlook Plug--In

Newsgator

The Outlook Plug--In that just gets the job done right the first time.  There is not enough I can say about how elegant this program is for those of us that live by Outlook.

Making the deal sweeter, it integrates nicely with IE explorer six, plays well with the host application, and it works seamlessly with Blogger. If you are like me and live by Outlook 2003, this is the one plug in to get. 

Sadly, it does not integrate with the free Outlook Express. 

If you are fortunate to have Outlook, and it rocks and rolls as an email client and calendar program, but you will still need a dedicated CRM to do real business, this is a must have plug in if you like RSS feeds and are addicted to Blogger.

Newsgator 

Newsgator 

An Outlook Plug—In 

Version 2.0.3.3 

A review by Kurt von Behrmann 

RSS are three letters that keep coming up over and over again.  If you are questioning what this is about, allow me to break it all down for you.  

Being new to this myself, I had no idea what RSS meant or even why I should care. Recently I learned what it is all about, or at least the basics, and why I, or anyone else, should care. As it turns out, this is the latest web technology that is adding a new dimension to web surfing.  

What RSS, and that stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a lightweight XML, yes another three letter word and it stands for Extensible Markup Language, which was designed to allow simple text formatting on the web, and  yes they cheated with the X.  Without getting bogged down in techno town, the idea behind RSS is that you can obtain and send simple messages directly to people over the net.  Mainly used by large sites and web masters, this techno news service was designed to allow web sites to publish information quickly and efficiently.  

Several years ago, the big word on the web was “push technology.” What this meant was that information, web sites, all assorted data would be sent, or pushed, to you. Rather than getting the information yourself, push technologies were all about the data coming to your desktop automatically.  The concept never really took off with anyone.  Implemented without any real direction, push technologies were literally pushed aside. 

Now several years and several upgrades to windows later, a variation on that theme has emerged. Designed to fit a specific need, sending announcements basically about what is going on at your web site without filling everyone’s email with junk, RSS has become something of a news flash service. It has also gained a lot of popularity among the techno savvy. 

The information presented is small, usually a headline, a descriptive bit of text and naturally a link to a web site that discreetly comes to your RSS client.   

Here is where Newsgator comes in to play. Not to be confused with that other “Gator” that everyone is an uproar over, Newsgator the  Outlook Edition is an Outlook Plug In that permits you to use Outlook as a depositor for RSS feeds. 

Easy to set up, the software allows you to turn Outlook into a full featured RSS receiver without having you ever leave the comfort of Outlook.  If you depend on that program as much as I, you will welcome the convenience. 

Having never worked with Newsgator before, the experience from set up to download was very simple.  For those unsure, there is a trial version.  Also, Newsgator has just made open a free online version of this software that is fully functional. 

Now back to Newsgator Outlook. 

Unobtrusive and hardly a drain on your system resources, Newsgator offers up a clean sleek interface and all of the ease one could expect.   Common to a number of newer titles this one requires that Netframework be installed on your system in order to run. 

Netframework is something like java, only run and owned by Microsoft. Downloading and locating Netframework is easy. Basically, it is a software application that other programs run off of using its software. Recently, Sony’s Vegas version Five now depends on it to operate.  For most people, myself included, it mearly means having it installed in order for certain programs to function. 

Newsgator also integrates with IE 6.  If you see a site that has a RSS logo on it, you can basically subscribe to that service directly from IE 6 wihtout having to go to Outlook. It makes a great deal of sense and it is a great convenience feature. 

If all of this still intimidates you, the best way to see the wonders of RSS is to dive in and explore. Newsgator has packaged the important information up front, and they really walk you through the process.  They also provide their own customized content, but there is a fee for this service. 

Another great thing about Newsgator is that it can be configured to work with Blogger, I know not another term, but here it is. Bloggers. These are like RSS in that they are both small mini communications. Instead of offering detail, they are like little diaries on line. They are mainly text based, and people treat them like diary entries. Some are complex. Some are very simple. Like RSS they are about communication that is swift, small, instant and text driven.  The Blogger service offers up free space and free accounts that allow you to make your presence known.  

What is great about Newsgator is that they have created a plug in that allows you to compose and send your text to Blogger without ever leaving the application.  It not only makes life a bit easier, it makes it even simpler to keep your blog site updated.  Also, the little plug in is easy to install and best of all free.

Taking in RSS and Bloggers, Newsgator is the ultimate tool for those that live by Microsoft Outlook. 

Summation 

For those that just love Outlook, and live by it, Newsgator is a clear and obvious choice. For Bloggers that also live by Outlook, it is a real convenience piece of software. As a plug in, this one behaves itself and will neither drain your system’s resources, or cause error messages.  Believe it or not, plug ins, from my own experiences can be your best friend, or your worst nightmare.  Fortunatly, Newsgator is a friendly companion. 

If it sounds like I am hooked on Newsgator, I must be honest, I like the program, the way it integrates with Outlook and IE six and the new doors of communication and information it has opened for me.  For dedicated Outlook users that want to remain in the “RSS” loop, look no further.