| When you think of software and personal computers | | | | with any of its software products.I'll make a daring |
| (PCs), you think Microsoft.The global software giant | | | | prediction here: watch for Microsoft or another large |
| dominates the PC market in both penetration and | | | | player to purchase FeedDemon rather than try to |
| pocketbook.It seems you can't go a single day without | | | | reinvent the wheel and build a product brand |
| seeing at least one news story and several | | | | themselves.** FireFox Web Browser **Security |
| advertisements for Microsoft or a Microsoft | | | | problems always seem to plague the Microsoft |
| product.But that doesn't mean Microsoft dominates in | | | | Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser.In fact, last year the |
| every corner of the market; in fact, as the software | | | | problem got so bad, it forced Microsoft to release one |
| behemoth gets bigger, numerous niche software | | | | of the largest free software upgrades (Service Pack |
| offerings spring up to fill in the gaps left in Microsoft's | | | | 2) in the history of computing.According to both and |
| wake.As you'll see, a couple of these niche software | | | | Webside Story, two of the Web's leading Web |
| programs have managed to either beat Microsoft to | | | | analytics companies, Microsoft's IE market share has |
| the punch, or even steal market share away from the | | | | dipped below 90%.See actual stats from WebSide |
| seemingly invincible company.** FeedDemon | | | | Story Here: response to serious security threats to |
| **FeedDemon software ($29.95) enables you to | | | | Internet Explorer, an upstart browser named FireFox |
| subscribe to and read RSS Feeds (Real Simple | | | | from Mozilla.org took off like a rocket ship in late |
| Syndication).RSS has emerged as the preferred way | | | | 2004.Available free from FireFox offers not only a |
| to share news and other content with subscribers | | | | full-featured Web browser without the security |
| across the Internet without the use of email.The | | | | problems, but also a number of features not available |
| advantage to subscribers: as news, blogs, or other | | | | on Internet Explorer.Probably the most popular feature |
| content updates somewhere online, subscribers | | | | Firefox offers over IE is "Tabbed Browsing," which |
| receive virtually instant notification just by opening up | | | | enables you to open multiple Web pages without |
| their reader.This represents a huge time savings since | | | | opening multiple windows.Firefox also limits harmful |
| subscribers can receive updates without surfing | | | | Active-X controls and pop-up windows.Firefox tends |
| individual sites to chase down stories or wading | | | | towards a less forgiving attitude on HTML coding and |
| through piles of spam to find the content they actually | | | | may display some Web pages awkwardly, where IE |
| want.The advantage to publishers: no worrying about | | | | displays most pages as the designer intended.Despite |
| whether email notifications, news releases, or blog | | | | this, Firefox makes an excellent browser and |
| updates made it past the spam filters or unreliable mail | | | | Microsoft should take heed that market dominance |
| servers.Though many free RSS reader software | | | | doesn't last forever once consumers see a viable |
| packages exist (just do a search on for "free rss | | | | alternative.And the lesson in all of this for all you |
| reader"), FeedDemon offers an unmatched suite of | | | | would-be entrepreneurs out there with the next great |
| tools that enable serious RSS subscribers the power | | | | idea?It doesn't matter how big or small your |
| and flexibility to mix and match feeds, including the new | | | | organization, it always comes back to a simple formula: |
| "POD Casting" craze where content providers | | | | Meet the needs and solve the problems of a specific |
| syndicate audio content (MP3) over the web.Available | | | | niche audience better than the next guy and you'll be |
| from FeedDemon sets the standard for RSS readers | | | | the winner! |
| in a market that Microsoft has yet to even address | | | | |