Puffbox

Does anyone have any experience with RSS reader software that:

• is freeware;
• is portable (ie. sits in its own directory only, for easy setup);
• is dead easy to use, for total novices;
• is OK with feeds published locally on an intranet; and
• doesn’t have the word ‘Blog’ in its name?

One of my current jobs is with a contact centre (telephone calls, email, letters). They’re having problems keeping track of developments in other parts of the same organisation, on other sites. When a new press release is issued by the press office, for example, they all need to know it’s there – and word doesn’t always get through. I’m seeing RSS feeds as a possible solution: quick and easy to implement, popup alerts on the desktop, etc etc.

But we’re talking about a user community who have zero experience with RSS as a technology. Giving them a full-strength three-panel tool (like Blog Navigator or RSS Bandit) will be too much for them. Web-based tools are out too, as we’ll be publishing a lot of the necessary feeds on their intranet only.

I’ll be trying a few candidates over the next few days. I like the look of Nutshell, which is a name I hadn’t come across before yesterday. Greatnews gets a very good write-up as a ‘portable app’. cRSSReader looks good, but the .NET thing could be a problem. Does anyone have any experience with these… or any better suggestions?

UPDATE: I plumped for Abilon in the end. Here’s why…