Pluck is a newsreader that integrates with Internet Explorer, a nice feature for users who want to read newsfeeds inside their default Windows browser. As such, Pluck offers additional tools not found in competing programs, including the ability to manage Web bookmarks across multiple computers, share Web pages and notes with friends, and sort and filter Amazon, eBay, and Google queries. Pluck’s best feature is that it’s free without banner ads or spyware. To test Pluck, we downloaded and installed a beta copy (version 0.9.2.53).
Once setup is complete, Internet Explorer loads with the new Pluck component. Some IE users may object to Pluck’s usurpation of browser window real estate–Pluck’s RSS Reader column gobbles up nearly a third of the left-hand IE screen–but you can easily shrink this column by dragging its borders with your mouse. The excellent Getting Started page explains the main components of Pluck’s multipane interface, which, in addition to the RSS Reader column, includes a headline pane that displays story summaries from a particular site or blog and a browser window that allows you to read individual stories.
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