NewsGator Mobile for Windows Mobile Reviewed at the::unwired

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2990' target='_blank'>http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2990</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The charme of NewsGator, which will also be released as a Windows Mobile client soon, is that all of the different platforms synchronize seamlessly, enabling you to easily switch between NewsGator aggregators. That's why I enjoy to use NewsGator because while I commute to the office, I could read the latest news RSS feeds on my Windows Mobile devices, in the office I either access my NewsGator account through my Outlook client or through the web interface (which is AJAX-enabled now) and at home I can read the latest news on my XP Media Center Edition PC, right from my couch"</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060411-NewsGator.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />I never much cared for reading RSS feeds in Outlook, so I stayed clear of NewsGator. Of course, when they purchased FeedDemon, the best RSS client on the market, things changed for me. I took a closer look at their offerings, and I'm pretty excited about all the synchronization that is done between the various clients. Once I've read a post, I want it to be marked read on <i>every</i> device I own. I don't want to spend time searching through old news and NewsGator has done a great job at this. Check out Arne's review over at the::unwired if you're looking for a complete RSS solution. :)

[Jerry Raia]

I have been using NewsGator in Outlook and just tried this mobile feature. Very nice. :)

[zilla31]

so wait, is FeedDemon currently working w/ a mobile client? i'm not keen on reading my rss feeds from outlook but would def use feeddemon if it synced w/ my SP. need to figure all this out before i rush out and buy newsbreak :)

[Mike Temporale]

so wait, is FeedDemon currently working w/ a mobile client? i'm not keen on reading my rss feeds from outlook but would def use feeddemon if it synced w/ my SP. need to figure all this out before i rush out and buy newsbreak :)

Technically, it doesn't sync with your phone at all. FeedDemon (or any NewsGator client) sync's with the NewsGator servers. ;)

Currently, you have to use IE Mobile from a Windows Mobile device. They're working on a actual client. Hopefully it will be out soon.

[Rocco Augusto]

i really like the idea of having all my devices sync and mark an item as read if i read it. this is the whole reason why i usually do not use RSS readers since im around a total of 6-8 different internet enabled machines all day working and i like to read a lot of news :)

[zilla31]

ok so they are working on an SP client (that will presumably work "offline" and not via a mobile friendly website). will this sync w/ their web version too? seems logical that it would... this will help because i'd def like to have a client version (that can store my feeds in case i have no connection etc.).

[ctmagnus]

I just use Bloglines. The only issue I have with it is that as soon as you select a channel, it marks all items as read and you have to go through and flag items you want to read later. I prefer Onfolio's method of doing things, ie, the item is marked as read only when you say so.

[Mike Temporale]

ok so they are working on an SP client (that will presumably work "offline" and not via a mobile friendly website). will this sync w/ their web version too? seems logical that it would... this will help because i'd def like to have a client version (that can store my feeds in case i have no connection etc.).

Right. They bought SmartFeed and are working at implementing Sync on that. Right now, you can use the webclient from your smartphone. But once they release SmartFeed (or FeedDemon Mobile - as I would prefer the name be) then it should be a real nice end to end solution. :)

[Jerry Raia]

I think its pretty great right now. With a PC, a Laptop, a PPC and a Smartphone it's nice to have them all on the same page so to speak. :mrgreen:

[zilla31]

my only issue now is the t-mobile data plan is 29.99 a month... so i'm getting kind of screwed with that unless i want to use newsbreak (activesync updates only)... i'm kind of hoping that newsgator's client will allow that also.

[Sven Johannsen]

my only issue now is the t-mobile data plan is 29.99 a month... so i'm getting kind of screwed with that unless i want to use newsbreak (activesync updates only)... i'm kind of hoping that newsgator's client will allow that also.Don't understand how you are getting screwed. The $29.99 plan covers unlimited GPRs/Edge and Hotspot access. Not sure what you could do better.

Newsbreak always irritated me since it didn't download pictures. Everytime I hit one my PPC would try to download it. It of course couldn't with no GPRS and no active WiFi connection. I'd constantly be declining connections. On a converged devce with a data plan, it would just connect with GPRS and get the picture. That though does chew up bits...no problem with an unlimited plan though.

[zilla31]

sven - "screwed" is the wrong word i guess. i don't do a lot of surfing on my smartphone, and work all day on a computer so rarely have to check email on it either (though i do like to read unread, "synced" email on my device pretty regularly). Ultimately i'm ending up paying the $30 a month for the rare occasions i want to check a sports score or update my RSS feeds - that's where the "screwing" comes in :)

[Ilium Software]

so i'm getting kind of screwed with that unless i want to use newsbreak (activesync updates only

Hi,

I just wanted to make sure you knew that you don't HAVE to sync with Active Sync. It's simply one of the options NewsBreak offers.

Marc Tassin
Ilium Software
--------------------
[email protected]
+1 (734) 973-9388
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http://www.iliumsoft.com

[Ilium Software]

Newsbreak always irritated me since it didn't download pictures. Everytime I hit one my PPC would try to download it. It of course couldn't with no GPRS and no active WiFi connection. I'd constantly be declining connections. On a converged devce with a data plan, it would just connect with GPRS and get the picture. That though does chew up bits...no problem with an unlimited plan though.

Hi Sven,

Sorry about that. It's a comment we've heard quite a bit and something we're looking at changing. I don't have info on exactly HOW it will change in the next version but we are aware of this problem.

Marc Tassin
Ilium Software
--------------------
[email protected]
+1 (734) 973-9388
---------------------
http://www.iliumsoft.com