New AvantGo Client Officially Released

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2208' target='_blank'>http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=2208</a><br /><br /></div><i>"iAnywhere Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc., launched the latest version of its AvantGo service, delivering superior features for managing and viewing mobile Internet content offline or online, anywhere at anytime. Enhanced capabilities allow for improved wireless synchronization, easier on-device web channel management and an expanded support system for AvantGo users, resulting in a more robust online and offline user experience."</i><br /><br />We reported on the <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34720">beta version</a> of this new version, and it looks like it's now officially released. The most interesting change is the fact that it no longer uses PIE. You can login to download it <a href="http://www.avantgo.com/frontdoor/index.html">here</a>. The above link brings you to PPCW's article, including a new features list.

[Darius Wey]

Blah... I thought it was a whole new revision but it's still the v5.7 B35 one that has been lingering around for a while. Some of the biggest criticisms I can lay down on this new version are (a) zero customisation of font sizes or font faces, and (b) slow performance since they've seemed to have punched in their own code for the way text fields, drop-down menus, buttons, and tabs are handled with the orange glow effect. :|

[ctmagnus]

As of at least last Thursday, I've been unable to download the AvantGo application that gets synched to a freshly hard-reset device. I wonder if this is related?

[dma1965]

I have to say that I installed this on my Siemens SX66 (main memory installation) and it performs quite well. Much faster than the PIE version which would take forever just to open the main page, or go back to the main page. I like the new features quite a lot. It still has a few quirks, but it is quite usable as it stands. :wink:

[EricMCarson]

I have to agree on the extremely slow performance. I have tried installing this version of AvantGo both to a memory card and to main memory of my iPaq 4155 and both appear to run much slower than the PIE version. I am disappointed in this "upgrade" (I, for one, was kind of a fan of the PIE access for AvantGo).

[Darius Wey]

As of at least last Thursday, I've been unable to download the AvantGo application that gets synched to a freshly hard-reset device. I wonder if this is related?

No. It should work fine. Try downloading the application again and install it.

[ctmagnus]

I tried the new version and ran setup on the desktop. It went all the way through but it didn't copy anything to the device even though I got the new version in ActiveSync. I had to find the cab file on the desktop, copy it over and install it on the PPC end before I got the AvantGo icon in Programs. But now it works :)

[rob_ocelot]

I have to agree on the extremely slow performance. I have tried installing this version of AvantGo both to a memory card and to main memory of my iPaq 4155 and both appear to run much slower than the PIE version. I am disappointed in this "upgrade" (I, for one, was kind of a fan of the PIE access for AvantGo).

Lets not mention that it took up a whopping 4 megs of my precious 4150's memory! Not having PIE+ button controls (eg back and full screen) is a real pain now that I'm so used to them in PIE.

Is there really anything better in this version that the PIE-based version could do? If we're getting the same content *plus* bigger, flashier ads and popup crap then it's only an advantage for AvantGo if we download it. I guess being able to add and remove channels dynamically is a plus, but certainly not something that makes it a 'must get'.

Also, beware installing the new version if you are unsure if it's for you -- once you remove it you cannot get the PIE-based version back. You'll have to restore from a backup. :-(

[Darius Wey]

Is there really anything better in this version that the PIE-based version could do? If we're getting the same content *plus* bigger, flashier ads and popup crap then it's only an advantage for AvantGo if we download it. I guess being able to add and remove channels dynamically is a plus, but certainly not something that makes it a 'must get'.

The main changes are seen in the UI (for better or worse :|), personalisation features with respect to channels, and provided functionality for a multi-modal wireless browsing experience. The new version still needs a lot of work which is why I've sent off a string of suggestions to the AvantGo team. I suggest others do the same if they think this new version needs a patch-up.

[ctmagnus]

I have 340K worth of channels in my subscription. A single download of all channels in the new version is reported by MemMaid as occupying 1.6MB 8O

Not good for my 2MB/month wireless plan.

[pdclarkipaq]

Does anyone have a problem with the way the d-pad only scrolls a line at a time. Is it possible to make it page down? I get great download speed with broadband wifi but reading is a pain.

[k_kirk]

I use SPB PocketPlus to maximize the PIE screen while viewing AvantGo and other PIE content. Moving AvantGo out of PIE reduces from my browsing experience... Wonder if they could implement a full screen mode down the road. Does it play well in Landscape mode? I have not tested this yet? Regards

[Darius Wey]

Does anyone have a problem with the way the d-pad only scrolls a line at a time. Is it possible to make it page down? I get great download speed with broadband wifi but reading is a pain.

Yes, it's a limitation of the new version of the AvantGo client. Nasty, isn't it? ;)

[Darius Wey]

I use SPB PocketPlus to maximize the PIE screen while viewing AvantGo and other PIE content. Moving AvantGo out of PIE reduces from my browsing experience... Wonder if they could implement a full screen mode down the road. Does it play well in Landscape mode? I have not tested this yet? Regards

There is a full-screen mode although it's well-hidden. If you tap and hold on the screen of the AvantGo client, you see no tap-and-hold dots (:bad-words:), but if you wait a little while longer, a menu appears with a Fullscreen option. With respect to landscape mode, I'm not 100% sure on that since I'm still using a WM2003 device. However, I can confirm that it is not VGA-optimised. :|

[ctmagnus]

If you tap and hold on the screen of the AvantGo client, you see no tap-and-hold dots (:bad-words:), but if you wait a little while longer, a menu appears with a Fullscreen option.

You get full screen with the top bar still showing. So it's more like pseudo-full screen, unlike what you get with Repligo, PIEPlus or MultiIE.

[Darius Wey]

You get full screen with the top bar still showing. So it's more like pseudo-full screen, unlike what you get with Repligo, PIEPlus or MultiIE.

Agreed. Well, 26 extra pixel lines are better than none at all! :mrgreen:

[menajemh]

i have net front installed in the main memory, do u recomend to reinstall it on the storage card? this avantgo is the best, kills my metro time, so i can read all the news on the way work and the nice webpages i like on the way home

[Russ]

I gave up, naff interface, very slow, huge downloads. I now use iSiloX and iSilo http://www.isilo.com/.

Way better customisable interface, with user assignable controls, including the 'drag your finger in the screen to move the page up or down' bit. Setting up is more of a pain as you have to find the mobile site to point at, configure it's download etc. But you do choose what sites you want to take with you!

I've not looked back - it's way better. Effectively you can get one handed scrolling through something like DigiGuide. Bliss...

Russ
P.S. OK the only downside is you cannot sync your data direct from your PocketPC - but in truth who really does this with AvantGo over a GPRS connection - maybe OK over WiFi - but not GPRS. If you just sync in the morning and then carry it round all day then this is for you and no I don't work for them :)

[PR.]

Ever since I installed the beta a few weeks ago I have pretty much stopped using it :|

No VGA support on my 4700, no font control and since I haven't updated the beta I keep finding pages that should have been downloaded are not and get a dial up request.

[EricMCarson]

I keep finding pages that should have been downloaded are not and get a dial up request.

I also have gotten this dial up request, particularly with AccuWeather channel. I'm about ready to stop using AvantGo and find something similar that runs at the speed of my PPC rather than 4x slower.

[joonsuan]

Disable the "Go online automatically" option and you should not see the dial up request anymore.

[piperpilot]

I uninstalled the beta version a while back and happily use the old PIE version. I shall not download the new client. I like having it in PIE.

[k_kirk]

I use SPB PocketPlus to maximize the PIE screen while viewing AvantGo and other PIE content. Moving AvantGo out of PIE reduces from my browsing experience... Wonder if they could implement a full screen mode down the road. Does it play well in Landscape mode? I have not tested this yet? Regards

There is a full-screen mode although it's well-hidden. If you tap and hold on the screen of the AvantGo client, you see no tap-and-hold dots (:bad-words:), but if you wait a little while longer, a menu appears with a Fullscreen option. With respect to landscape mode, I'm not 100% sure on that since I'm still using a WM2003 device. However, I can confirm that it is not VGA-optimised. :|

Darius, you're a magician!!! Will not ask how you discovered that! Thank you so much!!!

[wkspear]

... not that this ought to surprise anyone, since it's their revenue stream. Anyway, the "upgrade" makes sense when you consider it in this context.
I'm going to keep the PIE-based version, since it works best for me.

http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3457171

[SofaTater]

My biggest complaint about the new version is about how text is formatted. Sometimes I come across an article I want to keep to read later for for future reference. In the PIE-based version of AG, I could copy and paste the text to TextMaker or Pocket Word and save it as a file. However, with the new version of AG, paragraph breaks are not copied over, so the entire article gets pasted in as one long paragraph, rendering it pretty much useless...

[Jason Lee]

People still use avantgo? how pocket pc 2000... :wink:

I gave up on avantgo years ago when they started taking away opions and limiting things more. Plus i got one of those cool toshiba e740's with built in wifi. On campus i could get live data not synced. :)

Seriously though, i just use pocket rss now. It is amazing the kind of rss feeds you can find out there, weather and everything. But now that i have a ppc phone with unlimited data package i am really beging to wonder how useful rss is. I guess it is still faster than hitting the actual site. You think this sync for offline reading stuff will stay around when more people become conected everywhere they are?

[dweir]

I tried the beta, and did not like the lack of PIE. Full screen and d pad and button mapping controls with pie and PIEPLUS make the old avantgo client very fast and smooth on my 4155. I will say that the old avantgo on a 2215 was frustratingly slow, but that was due to the tremendous graphic speed differences between a 2215 and a 4155. I will keep the old avantgo, thank you.

[ppcinfo]

The upgraded Avantgo interface looks terrible on my Dell Axim x50V (VGA Screen). I removed it, but I can't get the PIE interface to work again with Avantgo. Aside from doing a backup restore, is there away to get the PIE interface working again? Maybe editing an entry in the registry file?

ppcinfo

[rob_ocelot]

... not that this ought to surprise anyone, since it's their revenue stream. Anyway, the "upgrade" makes sense when you consider it in this context.

http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3457171

I wonder when the PIE-version will be 'defeatured' to force people to use the newer version. I've already noticed that some pages and links aren't loaded in the PIE version about 25% of the time and this has been happening for quite some time. Granted, some of those problems may originate with feed content providers and not Avantgo itself, but I can definitely see a point in the future where Avantgo would want to discourage people using the less-fueatured version.

[Squid]

I am majorly bummed. After getting the upgrade around Christmas I was initally impressed with the way it looked and worked with wifi. But, I don't normally have access to wifi so it is such a tease.

My main problem is that it seems to be taking up more, and more, and MORE of my storage card. I am currently up to about 14-15 mg! What is all of this?!? Do the old pages not get removed? Where is all of this bloat coming from? If I could get the same content coverage with another program it would be so gone! And I have used Avantgo since I started back in the day with a Palm Pilot. I am trying Mobipocket to see how this will work. I keep on hearing about iSolo. My have to look into it as well.

Regards,

Squid

[ronb]

I've never seen so many people say good things about PIE . It's all relative, I guess. I think WM2005 is suppose to "enhance" PIE; it may end up we won't like the "improvements" there either.

I've already noticed that some pages and links aren't loaded in the PIE version about 25% of the time and this has been happening for quite some time.

I'm glad ... , no, let's just say "It's comforting", to see that others have this problem. I had been wondering what I could do to improve the reliability of content being there when I want to later access it after I am disconnected. I had wondered if they had reduced the amount of time it allows to find a page, or if they give up if it takes too long to complete getting a page. It seems worse during the day (US time), often when I need to depend on it most.

Anyway, thanks for the input, guys. I think I will pass for now.

[bbarker]

I dislike the new version's one-line scrolling (which you can't change), its poor readability on my Axim X50v's VGA screen, its slowness, its confusing user interface, and its slowness to sync. I can see a benefit to some of the new features, but not enough to overcome the disadvantages.

I pay for an 8MB ActiveSync account. I really would prefer to have an option of viewing the content in PIE. A compromise might be an AvantGo application that handles synching, settings and other activities, but the ability to view the content in that app or in PIE.

[oVan]

I hate to bring in bad news, but I've just got the following message when syncing my old AvantGo subscription:

Please upgrade your AvantGo software by visiting http://avantgo.com

If that message confirms what I think it does...then I'm done with it. I will not install the new client, I'd rather use PocketRSS or whatever alternative then.

oVan

[shawnc]

... not that this ought to surprise anyone, since it's their revenue stream. Anyway, the "upgrade" makes sense when you consider it in this context.
I'm going to keep the PIE-based version, since it works best for me.

http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3457171

Thanx for the article wkspear. The following is a quote:

The AvantGo mobile content platform's new wireless synchronization capability has created more immediate opportunities for consumers to interact with advertisers.

Because that's what consumers want. The opportunity to increase our level of "interaction" with advertisers. Is that the largest pile of s*&amp;t you've ever heard! But you can't really blame them for trying to enhance their business model. Eventually they have to make some money.

The question that keeps popping into my mind as I read this thread is why in the heck are people "upgrading" to the new version. The count seems to be 99% report no significant enhancements with severe performance degradation, with ony about 1% professing satisfaction. I'm not upgrading until they force me to. Unfortunately I have a hunch that that is right around the corner. I synced wirelessly around 5:30 this morning with no problem. But I see where at around 11:00 another member got a error message forcing them to upgrade :evil: .

CRAP!!!!!

EDIT/UPDATE - Just wirelessly synced at 5:36 PM. Hopefully they won't force me to the upgrade.

[Squid]

Hey everyone,

I uninstalled the new 5.7 version from my iPaq and I noticed several things. First of all, even though I installed it to a storage card 1 MB +!!! was freed up in my main memory. Additionally, I couldn't figure out what was going on with the memory on my storage card. It showed 15-16 MB allocated for Avantgo, but a much larger portion was "missing" from the card. When I removed to program from the storage card about 50 MB was suddenly back! I am not sure if the program was using all of that or what the story was. Sure is nice to have all the memory back though.

Oh, and MobiPocket has worked out pretty well as an alternative.

Regards,

Kevin

[ctmagnus]

Meh. I uninstalled it and went back to a previous Sprite backup. imo, the content that's available just doesn't make it worth the (minuscule) effort of having one more thing to sync every day. I use RSS and :ppclove: it and if I decide I need something that isn't available as a feed, I'll try MobiPocket or similar.

[bbarker]

I use RSS and :ppclove: it and if I decide I need something that isn't available as a feed, I'll try MobiPocket or similar.
What do you use for RSS on your Pocket Pc?

[ctmagnus]

Egress or PocketRSS, depending on my mood. They both have advantages and disadvantages but I find Egress much easier to use atm, due (I hope) to the reasonably early .x version of PocketRSS.

[Phillip Dyson]

I also use Egress. I looked at the recent release of PocketRSS but am sticking with Egress.

With Egress's caching for offline browsing, I'm not sure what relevance AvantGo still has.
Limited capacity. Cumbersome client.

[Darius Wey]

I uninstalled the new 5.7 version from my iPaq and I noticed several things. First of all, even though I installed it to a storage card 1 MB +!!! was freed up in my main memory. Additionally, I couldn't figure out what was going on with the memory on my storage card. It showed 15-16 MB allocated for Avantgo, but a much larger portion was "missing" from the card. When I removed to program from the storage card about 50 MB was suddenly back! I am not sure if the program was using all of that or what the story was. Sure is nice to have all the memory back though.

In a nutshell, AvantGo isn't optimised for the storage card, so you will get utilisation of both card and main memory.

[bbarker]

Since wireless hasn't killed off AvantGo they are trying to find a way to do it themselves. This new version seems to be an effective step in that direction.