Shrook 2.0 is out is out and looks like a very slick update from where 1.0 was. I did not use it much after an initial test run, but this looks like a very interesting reader. The display supports an enhanced wide view and seems to render text in a very clean manner – much differently than NetNewsWire, though I can’t tell if that is just the font or what. I like it though…
I also like the web rendering within. There are certain sites that only offer abstracts that you can now read right from within Shrook which is a nice touch.
You can also sync your account through the Shrook service which is nice for people using 2 macs or if you are away from your computer but online via a browser interface. I’d love to see that make it’s way to wireless devices as well.
No posting capabilities… just reading and not free. It works for 30 days and imports all your groups from NNW perfectly if you want to give it a try before paying $19.95.
Later… After about an hour of usage I have to say I really like Shrook 2 with some minor exceptions. The speed is killer. I’ve got a few hundred feeds in NetNewsWire and it starts to feel heavy when you are trying to just cruise around. Shrook really jumps nicely when you are moving through a large list. Again – the text display is excellent…. very clean and easy to read. The negatives… two things really. First, It is driving me a bit nutty that you can’t get a consistent sort on feeds. Sometimes a site is listed chronologically and sometimes in the reverse. Since I have not used Shrook with my subscription file, it is pulling some old stuff and trying to recall what order someone posted in is not high on my list of priorities, yet you have to think about it often. The other detail is that when Shrook updates sites shift around and re-order on you to get to the top, listing as new. This is bad. I’d much rather see more unread in the folder for now and when I return to that group, have them reordered. Still kicking the tires… liking what I see for the most part though.