Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Netvibes Adds Multiple, Publish-Ready Pages [Start Pages]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4X2d4U3Oljo/netvibes-adds-multiple-publish+ready-pages

While it lost to iGoogle in our best start page showdown, Netvibes remains a popular platform due to its serious customization powers. With its newest feature, multiple personalized pages, it overtakes the competition as the feed addicts' platform of choice.

We say that will full respect for what other start pages do differently—iGoogle, for instance, offers a wide range of gadgets and widgets, many of them Google-integrated, that provide more than just news and headlines. But with multiple pages, each with their own color and theme, and multiple tabs on each page, it's a lot easier to separate what you're watching for your own gratification, what's actual work knowledge, and, say, your deal-finding start page.

What's more, you can choose to "publish" certain pages, making them accessible without your log-in credentials, and potentially making it really easy to clue your co-workers and friends in on what you think they should be monitoring. If you're still an OPML/XML geek at heart, Netvibes lets you export individual OPML files from each page, so you can still get crazy with the filtering/sharing tools.

Most of the same Netvibes features—drag-and-drop tabs, easy re-ordering, and highly personalized color schemes—are available across and on each page. With features like published pages, alongside Google Reader's user-friendly feed bundles, it seems like RSS is starting to make itself a real attraction to the web-using masses. Tell us what you think of Netvibes' new look and layout in the comments.