Apple's Upcoming 'Reading List' for Safari to Compete with Instapaper and ReadItLater

[addicted44]

except read it later and instapaper are useful on more browsers than just safari.

Instapaper's API has insane support across 3rd party apps and the web.

I kinda agree with the person who suggested this might help Instapaper (even if it syncs across Mac and iOS).

It will introduce folks to having the ability to sync web articles across multiple devices, and the added functionality in instapaper (non mac/ios, great integration into 3rd party apps and websites) might swing many to shell out the few dollars to get Instapaper instead.

 

[rorschach]

I wish they'd bring back the "Save as Web Application" feature that was in the Snow Leopard Safari 4 betas (similar to Fluid).

 

[3282868]

I wish they'd bring back the "Save as Web Application" feature that was in the Snow Leopard Safari 4 betas (similar to Fluid).

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that. I want the "Answering Machine" feature for iChat in the Snow Leopard beta's that never went to GM. It was cool to have a video away message in iChat and to allow friends to leave a video message in return. There was talk Apple was planning on VoIP and mobile integration, allowing OS X to become a home system accessible any where, and "answering machine" (would have been great for the deaf).

 

[bigjohn]

too bad i don't use safari

 

[rorschach]

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that. I want the "Answering Machine" feature for iChat in the Snow Leopard beta's that never went to GM. It was cool to have a video away message in iChat and to allow friends to leave a video message in return. There was talk Apple was planning on VoIP and mobile integration, allowing OS X to become a home system accessible any where, and "answering machine" (would have been great for the deaf).

And even more relevant now with FaceTime. Video voicemail messages seems like a natural progression.

 

[JonKean]

Apple's implementation appears to be partly based on HTML/js but it's not yet clear how robust a solution it will be. For example, one compelling feature of Instapaper and ReadItLater is the ability the synchronization of bookmarks across devices.

Obviously the synchronization functionality will be tied into Apples soon to be released cloud computing effort. ie: mark a page on any device, then later read it on any other device. Features like this will actually make me use my iPad (which otherwise gathers dust beside my bed).

 

[maclaptop]

Nice glasses Steve!

I'm shocked.

I expected them to be "iGlasses".

 

[radiohead14]

man i got excited for sec... all i saw was "Apple introduces MacBook Air"... thinking they finally announced a refresh

 

[DCJ001]

That's so cool! How's the stability of Safari in Lion? It beachballs all the time in Snow Leopard.

No beach balls foe in 10.6.7. You've got other issues to clean up.

 

[iWonderwhy]

Safari 6 is going to be awesome, more stable, more faster, more secure, and some nice features like this one to go with it, maybe they'll even take the plunge and add a tabs on top option? I expect it will probably be ready for prime time around the WWDC just like Safari 5 was last year.

 

[maclaptop]

Only time will tell. Safari has nothing on Chrome.

 

[JGowan]

RIP Instapaper & Read It Later.

I dunno. If it's something that isn't a service and just local, it won't be good for me. It also would have to have an iPad/iPhone version because Instapaper's rocks. It has to be something that is hosted somewhere else so that you can always have access to it, but especially the iPad/iPhone.

 

[jnozsc]

I am on the Lion last build. It doesn't work for me.

How to active this feature?

 

[Deflorator]

That's so cool! How's the stability of Safari in Lion? It beachballs all the time in Snow Leopard.

I am afraid it's not a beachball, it's the "Choose a Vista" circle...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26p4x6IttIQ

 

[motulist]

I don't get it. What's the point? You can already save full webpages to your disk using safari. Just click file > save as > web archive.

So all this feature does is give you a bookmarks folder that you can access from different computers? A small number of people would find that useful, but I imagine that the vast vast majority of people would have absolutely no use for it.

 

[MikhailT]

I don't get it. What's the point? You can already save full webpages to your disk using safari. Just click file > save as > web archive.

So all this feature does is give you a bookmarks folder that you can access from different computers? A small number of people would find that useful, but I imagine that the vast vast majority of people would have absolutely no use for it.

Then you'd have to manage the webarchives yourself. This just makes it one click. This is just simplifying the process that some people do and make it easier for people who doesn't do it now.

File > Save As > Rename file name > Locate the folder to store it in. Whenever you want to read the web archive, you have to load the file and read it there.

Reading list? Press one button and it's all done. When you want to read it, press one button to view it and you're done. If you use iOS devices, it'll be synced to your Mobile Safari as well (well, if they add support for it in the next iOS update).

 

[motulist]

File > Save As > Rename file name > Locate the folder to store it in. Whenever you want to read the web archive, you have to load the file and read it there.

... This just makes it one click.

I guess I can see what you're saying, I suppose that would make it slightly easier since it saves you a couple of clicks. But still, that hardly makes it a special feature. It's basically just a "save" toolbar button with a default save folder location.

If you use iOS devices, it'll be synced to your Mobile Safari as well

I suppose that might be useful to some people in some situations. But I think the vast majority of people would be just as happy syncing their regular old bookmark lists.

 

[ljocampo]

I haven't used Instapaper but have used ReadItLater. The only thing I liked about ReadItLater was being able to strip the article out of the HTML for reading it witout the annoying Ads and page layouts.

I'm always reading in Safari though and if this feature could strip out the article from the page source, I'll use it more. The problem I had with ReadItLater was there was never a later for me.

too bad i don't use safari

Yeah, too bad! Oh well we all make dumb choices.... jk jk

 

[MikhailT]

I don't get it. What's the point? You can already save full webpages to your disk using safari. Just click file > save as > web archive.

So all this feature does is give you a bookmarks folder that you can access from different computers? A small number of people would find that useful, but I imagine that the vast vast majority of people would have absolutely no use for it.

Don't generalize and assume what people will like or not like. Instapaper and ReadItLater are very popular for a reason along with Pinboard.in and other services like it.

As MR already explained in the article, this is just a different kind of bookmarking.

There are some people who just bookmark links to revisit it later in the short term and there are some people who saves a copy of the web site for long term storage. Sites change all the time, there is no guarantee that a link will still work a week from now.

We also have no idea what it actually looks like. It may be a combo of Reader/WebArchive, where users can also switch between the Reader/Web versions.

This is just another feature for some users and it's not forced upon people who doesn't find it useful.

I guess I can see what you're saying, I suppose that would make it slightly easier since it saves you a couple of clicks. But still, that hardly makes it a special feature. It's basically just a "save" toolbar button with a default save folder location.



I suppose that might be useful to some people in some situations. But I think the vast majority of people would be just as happy syncing their regular old bookmark lists.

And they'd still be able to do that. This is just a bonus feature for certain people who prefer saving copies of their bookmarks instead of links.

This isn't a special feature, nobody is saying it is. MR is just reporting on what they found new in Safari and Lion. Yes, it's a minor new feature but it's still new.

 

[LightSpeed1]

I believe they should put their energy else where.

 

[Atheistpaladin]

I'd rather see them spend more time on improving speed and UI. Other than general lack of responsiveness, there are a lot of little design elements in Safari that just don't feel right to me compared to Chrome and Firefox.

For example, clicking anywhere on the location bar should highlight the whole address like in Chrome rather than give you a single character edit cursor since 90% of the time I am not modifying the URL. The add new tab and security info buttons feel like they are put in the weirdest place; closing a tab with your mouse feels slower because you have to stop on the tab for the hidden close tab button to appear.

Not to mention an unified search and location bar and an actually functional reopen closed tab command are long overdue.


*rant*

 

[macsmurf]

I wish Apple would just do their own innovation instead of copying others.

 

[Patrick J]

How about allowing us to read iBooks on the computer, Apple?

Why would you want to read books on your computer?

 

[mrod]

For example, clicking anywhere on the location bar should highlight the whole address like in Chrome rather than give you a single character edit cursor since 90% of the time I am not modifying the URL

In fact, I find the opposite. Most of the time I'm modifying the URL.

Anyway, the way Safari's click/select system operates is consistent with the way it operates in general throughout the whole of the MacOS user interface. In a user interface, consistency is king.

Mozilla and Google have got it wrong in this case (and have merely followed Microsoft Internet Explorer). If you wish to type a new address you can always double-click to highlight the whole "word" as you would elsewhere.

 

[Patrick J]

In fact, I find the opposite. Most of the time I'm modifying the URL.elsewhere.

For example, clicking anywhere on the location bar should highlight the whole address like in Chrome rather than give you a single character edit cursor since 90% of the time I am not modifying the URL.

Why not have the best of both worlds? One click highlights the whole address, two clicks highlight the word.