I like start.me. It isn’t something to download but it’s a web page. The free service is a great start. I’ve been using it for years now
I like #newsblur too. I have paid for it for years now (though it is free).
What I like best about it is that it caches the text and images of the site so I don’t get all the ads etc.
Every year or so I go around looking at others but always go back.
I think my first experience was around 1993 or 1994. I downloaded the 3.5" disks at the university and then uploaded onto my 386. No GUI, all command prompt. :).
Right around that time, too, I found some network cards and co-axial cables and 3-4 of us in the house put the cards in our computers and could see each other’s computer. Couldn’t do much else though. Hahahaha.
I wish there something like that for RSS feeds. That would be fantastic.
For news specifically, Google News and Ground.news both aggregate and cluster similar news articles.