Google Reader Redesigned, Gets Google+ Sharing

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Google has recently launched its redesigned, revitalized Google Reader. The new RSS reader interface is simpler, cleaner, and includes integration with the Google+ Social Network.

Google Reader’s redesign has been in the works for some time now, amid criticism over how the old sharing functionality was to be deprecated. Google says the redesign was done with simplicity in mind, which gives Google’s home-grown RSS reader  a more homogenized look, compared to other services like Gmail, Google News and Google Docs.

Google has also deprecated the Like feature, in deference to Google’s newer social network.

The main features are, to wit:

• A new look. Google says the new design is faster and cleaner, and “nicer to look at.” But while “nice” is subjective, the new interface does make for less clutter and mimics the appearance of the new Gmail, which should make for a more consistent look-and-feel, especially for longtime Gmail users.
• New sharing feature. Gone are the old “Like” and “Share” links, which are replaced by the Google+ +1 button. Any item marked by “plus one” will likewise be automatically shared on your Google+ account. The new interface also has quick sharing links to Posterous and Twitter.

The old “Share with Note” feature is now gone, and the old methods of adding friends, following of other Reader users and commenting are now moved to Google+. Some users — especially those who have been used to adding notes to items they share on Reader, and those who don’t actively use Google+ — have been complaining against the change. But Google prefers to make Google+ their universal means of sharing items, hence the change. Users who prefer to export their Reader network can use the Subscription Export feature for data portability.

Google says an update to its Reader app for Android is also on the way.

Any comments on the new Reader interface? Should Google have given us the option to keep the old interface (like Twitter did for at least a few months before forcing the “new Twitter” on everyone)?  Did Google do the right thing in forcing users to share items via Google+ instead of their own Google Reader network?