Better GReader is a young and not exactly robust Firefox extension, but like its sibling, Better Gmail, it has a lot of potential. Designed to improve the look as well as the functionality of Google Reader, GReader has four skins and four features to get your RSS going.
Made up of compiled Greasemonkey scripts, the four features are useful, but not simultaneously. One lets you skip the iGoogle and add feeds directly to Google Reader, while the two Preview Item options let you load the feed's source page directly in Google Reader--a long-needed feature that most other standalone readers have. The fourth feature is a smart subscribe tab that surfaces on the upper right-hand corner of your browser that detects all feeds on a page and allows two-click subscriptions. It's not perfect, though, and it might have trouble with some feeds, such as those managed by FeedBurner.
The skins give a much-needed overhaul. OS X introduces a Mac look, while another changes the font and maximizes the viewing area. A third, Minimalistic, minimizes the navigation--if you press W, the top nav bar will disappear. The last skin changes the font, but not the layout. All of the GReader features work in conjunction with the Better Gmail integrated Reader option. Overall, this is a good start to this plug-in, and hopefully more scripts will be added to make the Google Reader even better.
