Feedback on IE7 Beta 2 from the Developer of FeedDemon
As most readers probably know by now, the second beta of Internet Explorer 7 is out, and it offers some nice improvements such as tabbed browsing and feed reading. I'm far too biased to comment on the actual feed reading experience in IE7 …
Context & Ripple Effects
The timing frames this piece: two weeks ago Nick Bradbury shipped FeedDemon 2.0 Beta 1 — a redesigned release he is giving away free to existing customers — and this week Microsoft put Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 into the wild with tabbed browsing and built-in feed reading. A rival RSS reader developer reviewing the browser that now bundles his product category is the story in miniature.
Bradbury explicitly declines to judge IE7's feed reading, citing his bias — a rare moment of candor from the developer most exposed to it. His feedback lands amid a rough beta cycle for Microsoft, with CNET documenting IE 7 bugs abound just days earlier and IEBlog detailing the CSS changes in Beta 2 Preview.
First-order effects
- Microsoft's decision to ship feed reading inside IE7 puts it in direct competition with FeedDemon on distribution — every Windows user gets a feed reader without installing one.
Second-order effects
- Standalone readers like FeedDemon must differentiate on features and workflow rather than availability; making 2.0 a free upgrade for existing customers removes price as a reason to defect to the bundled reader.
Third-order effects
- If browsers keep absorbing application categories — tabs, then feeds — independent Windows developers face a recurring pattern of competing with features their platform vendor gives away, pressuring them toward premium niches or cross-platform plays.
The trend: Browser vendors are folding once-standalone application categories into the platform itself, forcing independent developers to compete on depth rather than distribution.