RSS Bandit Alpha release test

In the last week I had heard news that a desktop RSS client, RSS Bandit, was going to enable you to sync your desktop client with your online Google Reader. I had always held back from using a desktop client because when I am away on vacation or on my laptop I use Google Reader, its online, fast, full of features, and gets the job done. So when this alpha release was announced I decided to download it and test it out, needless to say its definitely an alpha release.

The program itself installed fine and works when I add an OPML file like I normally did when I used a desktop client (Feeddemon was my choice). The problems started to happen when I synchronized my Google Reader feeds with RSS Bandit. Bandit found all the categories and feeds fine, the problems started when I attempted to update the feeds. Clicking update all feeds, only brought a slew of errors, and timeouts



Now I shouldn't be all that surprised, Ghacks first profiled RSS Bandit, then panned it and compiled the results of others testing. The result? Fail

To be fair, outside its problems syncing, Bandit is a generally good desktop client, its look is comparable to Outlook and other Windows programs so it fits in nicely with the desktop. It is also not lacking in options some of which include (untested): Remote storage, Web browser, search, attachment/podcasts downloads, newsgroups, and all the standard features found in a desktop client. The latest stable release, 1.6.0.2, is generally seen as a decent desktop client, hopefully the development team with work on the problems in the alpha and have everything sorted out for the final release.