iGoogle is being retired

juniper

Always curious.
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4,129
Reaction score
675
Location
Forever on the island
I just saw the notice that iGoogle is being retired. I looked at their info page and don't understand exactly what it is I need to do to maintain my stuff.

http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2664197

I use iGoogle for a basic landing pad to contain links and gadgets that help, inform or amuse me. Here's what's on my iGoogle homepage (after I login under my writing name):

Google Reader
Gmail inbox
Google calendar (which I use on my iPhone)
Daily Literary Quote
Weather for two different places
Three sticky notes with various info
Current moon phase
NPR
CNN
Go Comics.com
Artist a Day picture

Other login identities have similar info. I think I have 3 or 4 Google identities I check fairly regularly.

Reading through Google's info, I think I'll just lose the 3rd party stuff - like comics, NPR, Daily Literary Quote etc.

I wish they had a sample page of how the mobile version will work next month - that one's being retired end of this month. The desktop version not until November 2013.

Any reason for me to do anything? Thanks for helping out a non-techie.
 

juniper

Always curious.
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
4,129
Reaction score
675
Location
Forever on the island
So, I don't use Google Chrome. Should I?

I use Safari (on my Mac at home) for basic everyday stuff, Firefox for stuff like school and banking, which sometimes doesn't work with Safari.

At work, we can only use an older version of Internet Explorer. Don't ask me why, ask our IT dept. It doesn't even work well with iGoogle, but will display my gmail at least.
 

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
20,569
Reaction score
4,814
Location
youtu.be/QRruBVFXjnY
Website
www.ifoundaknife.com
Your IT folks may have to deal with some specific industry software the business uses, that has them stuck on that old version. If so, they have my sadness.

As to Chrome, I encourage it. And, once using it, you can use the sign in feature, and cruise the chrome "web store" for Apps that you like.

I suspect that, as we get closer to 2013, more of those gadgets we like will show up there.
 

shadowwalker

empty-nester!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
5,601
Reaction score
598
Location
SE Minnesota
I don't have Chrome either (tried it, hated it), but (here's my DOH! moment) I'm not even sure what stuff of mine is iGoogle and what's just plain Google - or if there is just a plain Google.

When the time comes, I'll probably just back up my emails and docs and hope for the best... :flag:
 

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
20,569
Reaction score
4,814
Location
youtu.be/QRruBVFXjnY
Website
www.ifoundaknife.com
Your email and docs will still be there, inside whatever gmail account you used when you created/received them. It's all the shortcuts -- gadgets we used. Some of the not so mainstream ones may be a problem.

This is going to impact a number of the teachers I support, so I'm going to have to get deeper into it. What sucks is that some of those people are gone for the summer and may not even notice it is gone until the end of August.
 

leahzero

The colors! THE COLORS!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,190
Reaction score
377
Location
Chicago
Website
words.leahraeder.com
I really wish they weren't doing this. iGoogle has been my landing page for years, too. Meh.

You can replicate most of the functionality with Chrome. I'm using this extension: Awesome New Tab Page - but still missing stuff like a slick RSS feed...
 

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
7,632
Reaction score
1,204
Location
London, UK
Website
torgoblog.blogspot.com
I replaced iGoogle a while back with Netvibes, which is a pretty good replacement. iGoogle used to have an excellent iPhone frontend which for some reason they killed a year or two ago.
 

Torgo

Formerly Phantom of Krankor.
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
7,632
Reaction score
1,204
Location
London, UK
Website
torgoblog.blogspot.com
Oh, and for mobile - Flipboard is the way to go, I think. It will incorporate all your various feeds. Readability is also nice for saving longer-form articles to read later.