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Google Reader is dead, long live the alternatives
Fri, 15th Mar 2013
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Sentiment is an alien word at TechDay. Google may have ditched it's Google Reader service, but we've already moved on.

After drying our tech eyes, the search giant's second print clean in two years has seen the inevitable end to what was a pretty great service.

But as with most things, death is a fact of life, and made-up online services clearly are no different, with Google announcing the news via it's official blog post.

"We’re living in a new kind of computing environment," Google says. "Everyone has a device, sometimes multiple devices.

"It’s been a long time since we have had this rate of change—it probably hasn’t happened since the birth of personal computing 40 years ago.

"To make the most of these opportunities, we need to focus—otherwise we spread ourselves too thin and lack impact."

Since launching the service in 2005, the product has been well-received, yet with its popularity on the decline, Google decided it was time to plug the plug.

"While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader," Google says.

"Users and developers interested in RSS alternatives can export their data, including their subscriptions, with Google Takeout over the course of the next four months."

Alternatives?

Forbes has offered five alternatives to Google Reader, including The Old Reader, Feedly, Newsblur, Reeder and Digg.

New releases will no doubt follow, especially given the market has now been blown wide-open with Reader's retirement.

With Reader dying, and dying fast, many users will be searching for an alternative, and it seems plenty are in line to do the honours, but for those dedicated to the service, where do you even start?

What will replace Google Reader on your computer? Tell us your thoughts below