Microsoft has announced NewsReaders for Forbes magazine, Hearst Corp's Seattle Post Intelligencer, Associated Newspapers, in addition to the previously available New York Times reader. 
The Hearst Corporation's Seattle Post Intelligencer has a reader available for download today. They said
"The P-I Reader allows users, such as business travelers or commuters, to synchronize their laptops before getting on an airplane or train and have available the latest content to read when it is most convenient. Up to six days of content can also be archived and read. The text and photos in the P-I Reader are displayed in a format to fit the size and layout of any computer screen and readers can customize the display according to personal preferences, such as font and window size, and move quickly through the pages, without scrolling. A user can navigate through the entire paper using just two arrow keys on the keyboard.
Robert Scoble asks "Why do a reader only for one publication?" And, Mathew Ingram asks "Why on earth would anyone download multiple pieces of software — all of which are based on the same rendering engine from Microsoft — to read different newspapers? It makes no sense."
It's about business, not technology
Newspapers and magazines have very powerful brands. Part of that brand is the look and feel or presentation of the information. The layout, the font, the headlines, and the advertising are all part of the reading experience. The newspapers and magazines want to replicate the news reading experience on line. Sorry Robert, but you can't do that with an RSS reader.
These News Readers will download the whole newspaper or magazine to your laptop or PDA within a couple minutes. Then you can read it at your leisure on the plane, bus, taxi, or where ever you are. No need for an Internet connection, and no need to scroll through hundreds of individual RSS feeds. 
Most people don't subscribe to multiple newspapers, so having a specific reader for your newspaper is not a problem. It is a feature. They want that familiar look and feel.
I will continue to use the RSS reader built into Microsoft Outlook for my news feeds because I like lots of very focused news items from many sources.
But, I completely understand why newspaper readers would like a news reader that downloads the whole newspaper and presents it with the same look and feel. And, it certainly makes business sense to the newspapers and magazines. It extends their brand, and advertising, to the on-line world in a unique way.
Another reminder that the business of software is about business...not technology.
