| When you think of software and personal | | | | its software products.I'll make a daring |
| computers (PCs), you think Microsoft.The | | | | prediction here: watch for Microsoft or |
| global software giant dominates the PC market | | | | another large player to purchase FeedDemon |
| in both penetration and pocketbook.It seems | | | | rather than try to reinvent the wheel and |
| you can't go a single day without seeing at | | | | build a product brand themselves.** FireFox |
| least one news story and several | | | | Web Browser **Security problems always seem |
| advertisements for Microsoft or a Microsoft | | | | to plague the Microsoft Internet Explorer |
| product.But that doesn't mean Microsoft | | | | (IE) Web browser.In fact, last year the |
| dominates in every corner of the market; in | | | | problem got so bad, it forced Microsoft to |
| fact, as the software behemoth gets bigger, | | | | release one of the largest free software |
| numerous niche software offerings spring up | | | | upgrades (Service Pack 2) in the history of |
| to fill in the gaps left in Microsoft's | | | | computing.According to both and Webside |
| wake.As you'll see, a couple of these niche | | | | Story, two of the Web's leading Web analytics |
| software programs have managed to either beat | | | | companies, Microsoft's IE market share has |
| Microsoft to the punch, or even steal market | | | | dipped below 90%.See actual stats from |
| share away from the seemingly invincible | | | | WebSide Story Here: response to serious |
| company.** FeedDemon **FeedDemon software | | | | security threats to Internet Explorer, an |
| ($29.95) enables you to subscribe to and read | | | | upstart browser named FireFox from |
| RSS Feeds (Real Simple Syndication).RSS has | | | | Mozilla.org took off like a rocket ship in |
| emerged as the preferred way to share news | | | | late 2004.Available free from FireFox offers |
| and other content with subscribers across the | | | | not only a full-featured Web browser without |
| Internet without the use of email.The | | | | the security problems, but also a number of |
| advantage to subscribers: as news, blogs, or | | | | features not available on Internet |
| other content updates somewhere online, | | | | Explorer.Probably the most popular feature |
| subscribers receive virtually instant | | | | Firefox offers over IE is "Tabbed Browsing," |
| notification just by opening up their | | | | which enables you to open multiple Web pages |
| reader.This represents a huge time savings | | | | without opening multiple windows.Firefox also |
| since subscribers can receive updates without | | | | limits harmful Active-X controls and pop-up |
| surfing individual sites to chase down | | | | windows.Firefox tends towards a less |
| stories or wading through piles of spam to | | | | forgiving attitude on HTML coding and may |
| find the content they actually want.The | | | | display some Web pages awkwardly, where IE |
| advantage to publishers: no worrying about | | | | displays most pages as the designer |
| whether email notifications, news releases, | | | | intended.Despite this, Firefox makes an |
| or blog updates made it past the spam filters | | | | excellent browser and Microsoft should take |
| or unreliable mail servers.Though many free | | | | heed that market dominance doesn't last |
| RSS reader software packages exist (just do a | | | | forever once consumers see a viable |
| search on for "free rss reader"), FeedDemon | | | | alternative.And the lesson in all of this for |
| offers an unmatched suite of tools that | | | | all you would-be entrepreneurs out there with |
| enable serious RSS subscribers the power and | | | | the next great idea?It doesn't matter how big |
| flexibility to mix and match feeds, including | | | | or small your organization, it always comes |
| the new "POD Casting" craze where content | | | | back to a simple formula: Meet the needs and |
| providers syndicate audio content (MP3) over | | | | solve the problems of a specific niche |
| the web.Available from FeedDemon sets the | | | | audience better than the next guy and you'll |
| standard for RSS readers in a market that | | | | be the winner! |
| Microsoft has yet to even address with any of | | | | |