Morgans wrote:
I'm curious; how does that save time?

Simplicity speeds the resources.
With the newsreader you never have to wait for a browser to load html,
then, no scrolling down the page.
The newsreader instantly loads txt, click one key on the keyboard and
next unread message is there, The whole thread string is constantly
viewable in one corner of the newsreader, any message available from the
sting with a keyclick without ever having to touch a mouse to point and
click. A newsreader is a much better use of resources and the
simplicity of text only, greatly speeds the process of viewing several
different newsgroups in a short period of time.
A browser is fine if you want to look at pictures.
There are lots of good forums out there for which a browser is a useful
tool. Reading newsgroups on Google is not one of the efficient uses.