With Google Read Gone is Google Keep Worth a Try?

[N2NH]

As expected (http://techland.time.com/2013/03/18/google-keep-could-be-a-note-taking-rival-to-evernote/), Google (http://topics.time.com/google/) has flipped the switch on Google Keep, a dead-simple website (https://drive.google.com/keep/) and Android app (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep) for recording notes, checklists, images and audio.
Also as expected, there’s no shortage of tech pundits — still sore from Google’s decision to shut down Google Reader — telling you to stay far (http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/03/a-problem-google-has-created-for-itself/274232/), far away (http://gigaom.com/2013/03/20/sorry-google-you-can-keep-it-to-yourself/). As we witnessed with Reader, you can’t trust Google to keep products around anymore, even popular ones, if they don’t fit the company’s long-term strategies.

So maybe Google Keep won’t exist in five years — it’s still worth trying.



I disagree. If you come to rely on an online feature and someone like Google keeps pulling the rug out from under your feet, what's the point? And the point of "Keep" seems to already be included in nearly every android device already. Why would I post my to do list or grocery list on the web?

If Google insists on not being reliable with their products, then is there really any reason to bother with them?

Google Keep - Keep Your Personal Data with Google Until They Don't Need You Anymore. (http://techland.time.com/2013/03/21/google-keep-worth-trying-with-caution/?iid=gs-article-mostpop2)

http://images.supersport.com/detective-with-spy-glass-R-300.jpg

[N2NH]

Google today launched Keep (http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/google-keepsave-whats-on-your-mind.html), an app that allows you to save things, clip stuff from the web, hoard notes and what not and put them all onto your Google Drive. Yup, you guessed it — it is an imitation to Evernote and many other such applications. It is a good thing that Google has decided to compete with the likes of Evernote — it validates their market.


It might actually be good, or even better than Evernote.

But I still won’t use Keep.

You know why? Google Reader.


I spent about seven years of my online life on that service (http://gigaom.com/2013/03/13/chris-wetherll-google-reader/). I sent feedback, used it to annotate information and they killed it like a butcher slaughters a chicken. No conversation — dead. The service that drives more traffic than (http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwherrman/google-reader-still-sends-far-more-traffic-than-google) Google+ was sacrificed because it didn’t meet some vague corporate goals; users — many of them life long — be damned.
Looking from that perspective, it is hard to trust Google to keep an app alive. What if I spend months using the app, and then Google decides it doesn’t meet some arbitrary objective? Evernote (http://gigaom.com/tag/evernote/) has my data and frankly, I’m glad to pay them to keep it because they are who they are. One of the reasons I use Evernote is because it is their only thing. (For now.) Evernote is focused on making the service better. And it keeps that focus every year.



After burning it's customers with Reader will anyone be foolish enough to give Keep a go?


Summary: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Google may think it can waltz into a market that Evernote and others have staked out, but I’m not going to dance.


Sorry Google; you can Keep it to yourself. (http://gigaom.com/2013/03/20/sorry-google-you-can-keep-it-to-yourself/)

[KC2UGV]

I tend to learn about these Google Products too late. Reader was good while it lasted, but since Google isn't taking a liking to RSS for some reason, I suppose it was to be expected.

[n6hcm]

If Google insists on not being reliable with their products, then is there really any reason to bother with them?

agreed. gmail was in beta for how many years until google decided it was worth keeping around for a while?

stuff like g keep has to innovate in significant ways before i give up what it is i'm using at the moment. with their track record of abandoning products and services the bar is set even higher.

[N2NH]

I find that Calibre is more desirable than Reader ever was. It is more user friendly, there's constant updates and add-ons and the program is free. Just got some free 'droid apps that do all KEEP does and more so Google can KEEP it. Besides, Google never supported the NOOK. Partially because of B&N but from what I could see partially from the pissing contest between B&N and Google.

[KC2UGV]

This is disappointing. I used Google Reader quite a bit.

The good news? Other people are picking it up, and are making even nicer solutions.

[KB3LAZ]

I didnt even know it existed, guess Im not going to miss it. :P

[KC9SQR]

I didnt even know it existed, guess Im not going to miss it. :P

Same here, the only Google stuff I use is the gmail, search engine, and occasionally the translator (which isn't the most accurate, but close enough to get the idea)...

I guess that's a good thing...

[n2ize]

I disagree. If you come to rely on an online feature and someone like Google keeps pulling the rug out from under your feet, what's the point? And the point of "Keep" seems to already be included in nearly every android device already. Why would I post my to do list or grocery list on the web?

Because you may want your friends to know what products you are buying and what you are doing. And vice versa. Otherwise you'll have to resort to keeping your to do list and shopping list, thoughts, etc. on a piece of paper or in memory. How passe' is that ? I want my thoughts, ideas, grocery lists, to do lists, etc. where my friends can see them.



If Google insists on not being reliable with their products, then is there really any reason to bother with them?

Google Keep - Keep Your Personal Data with Google Until They Don't Need You Any (http://techland.time.com/2013/03/21/google-keep-worth-trying-with-caution/?iid=gs-article-mostpop2)"


In some respects yes, its worth trying. But proceed with caution and watch the writing on the wall. The writing was on the wall for Google reader and it's shutdown was becoming more and more inevitable. Besides how many apps last forever ? Apps constantly die and new and better ones take over.

[n6hcm]

I find that Calibre is more desirable than Reader ever was.

Calibre doesn't do the same thing that Google Reader does. Google Reader managed RSS feeds, and Calibre works with ebooks.

[N2NH]

Besides how many apps last forever ? Apps constantly die and new and better ones take over.

So what has replaced Reader that is like Reader? But better?

[N2NH]

Calibre doesn't do the same thing that Google Reader does. Google Reader managed RSS feeds, and Calibre works with ebooks.

I just used Reader with books myself. I use the Firefox Toolbar for RSS.

[n2ize]

So what has replaced Reader that is like Reader? But better?

You already named one above you prefer Calibre to Google Reader. So you have found an better alternative for your ebooks. All in all however I find software to be a matter of personal preference. What is "better" or "best" for one person is not "better" for another. Example, for many Firefox is the better browser. For me I consider Opera and Chrome to be better.

I was under the impression that Google reader was an rss feed manager and not an ebook reader. In any event there are several companies that produce good rss feed manager. A quick Google-fu showed me that "netvibes" is a favored alternative for many, and supposedly Digg is developing a replacement for Google Reader. I am sure many other developers are working on newer and better alternatives.

As for me I don't use these types of apps anyway so it matters little to me.

[N2NH]

You already named one above you prefer Calibre to Google Reader. So you have found an better alternative for your ebooks. All in all however I find software to be a matter of personal preference. What is "better" or "best" for one person is not "better" for another. Example, for many Firefox is the better browser. For me I consider Opera and Chrome to be better.

I was under the impression that Google reader was an rss feed manager and not an ebook reader. In any event there are several companies that produce good rss feed manager. A quick Google-fu showed me that "netvibes" is a favored alternative for many, and supposedly Digg is developing a replacement for Google Reader. I am sure many other developers are working on newer and better alternatives.

As for me I don't use these types of apps anyway so it matters little to me.

Interesting. You are right. Reader is for RSS and there are others out there. I'm glad I didn't waste my time with Reader. I did use it for RSS but not fanatically. For those who want something better (because it's not Google), here's a link. (http://email.about.com/od/rssreaderswin/Windows_RSS_Feed_Readers_Aggregators.htm)

[n6hcm]

I was under the impression that Google reader was an rss feed manager and not an ebook reader. In any event there are several companies that produce good rss feed manager. A quick Google-fu showed me that "netvibes" is a favored alternative for many, and supposedly Digg is developing a replacement for Google Reader. I am sure many other developers are working on newer and better alternatives.

it is, which is why i said what i did.

netvibes is what i'm looking at atm ... i also have a fever installation (this would be fine if my web hosting wasn't grossly-oversubscribed shared hosting) and the old reader is kinda interesting (although definitely a mostly-volunteer operation: my feeds from google reader won't load there for easily a week or more ... they're *that* oversubscribed). none of them keep as current as i was able to keep with google reader, which may be a problem for some of my feeds (for some topics it's more important to be current than others).

rss readers are a way to consume/skim/sort *lots* of information ... i have about 500 feeds which i watch this way.

[KC2UGV]

So far, Feedly looks like it'll work well enough.