06-05-2009, 12:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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AvantGo is AvantGone
Avantgo is a service that scraped websites and sync'd the content to your mobile device allowing you to read articles on the go. Effective June 30, 2009, they are dropping the service. I am actually surprised it is still around. It was neat to use when few mobile devices had online access or even lacked a real browser, but for several years not, just about everyone has full time all-you-can-eat data plans. The exact wording on their page is a bit strange: "AvantGo is changing! From June 30, 2009, AvantGo will no longer be providing mobile content." That makes it sound like the company itself will be sticking around, but doing what I don't know. They recommend you move to a product called Snac, but it requires Java and only works on some Windows Mobile devices. I used AvantGo as early as the late 90's with my first PDA, and in a way it is sad to see it go, but honestly I'd almost forgotten about it. I haven't used it for at least seven or eight years.
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06-05-2009, 03:56 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 34
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Bummer...
Although I roll with an iPhone now, I still use the Avantgo mobile site (m.avantgo.com) to access my info--as I used to do with other non-Windows phones, using (generally) Opera Mini. I guess I'll have to see if most of the content is available in RSS form for Google Reader Mobile...
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06-05-2009, 04:25 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 96
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oh no!!! I have been using the built-in avantgo application in the ppc since my first Compaq Aero 1530, syncing everyday without fail! I know many have moved on buy I find the programme quite nice to use and I get my daily fixes of cnets news and palm jokes :-)
It would be a great pity for them to end the service. The programme is built into active sync (my older version anyway) as well as in the ROM, occupies very little footprint and syncs quickly.
Does anyone have a similar no-fuss programme to recommend? I know google mobile reader does not run on the older wm2003se series..:-(
__________________
To Boldly Go Where No Palm has gone before.
Capt, RSS Enterprise NCC 1701R
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06-05-2009, 05:06 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 18
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AvantGo was cool back in the days of non-connected IPAQs, when you could sync it before taking the device out of the cradle, but as soon as there were SmartPhones, I never really saw the need for it...especially once RSS Readers became available on mobile platforms.
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06-05-2009, 09:27 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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AvantGo was a great solution for its time, but its time has passed...I'm shocked it lasted this long actually. 
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06-05-2009, 10:14 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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I'm surprised it's still around too. In the early days when phoneless Pocket PCs was the norm, it had a prominent place on my Today screen. Like Ed, though, I bet I haven't used it for at least six years.
Good luck, AvantGo, wherever you are.
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06-05-2009, 10:17 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lmychajluk
...especially once RSS Readers became available on mobile platforms.
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Here's the problem with RSS readers though: you see the headline, maybe the short summary, you click on the link, and BOOM you're falling asleep as you wait for a desktop-formatted page loads. Not enough sites have mobile versions... 
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06-06-2009, 02:31 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Here's the problem with RSS readers though: you see the headline, maybe the short summary, you click on the link, and BOOM you're falling asleep as you wait for a desktop-formatted page loads. Not enough sites have mobile versions... |
Depends on the site. A lot of sites I use RSS feeds for have the full article in the feed. I tend to keep those and not use the others on my device.
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06-06-2009, 09:16 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 13
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AvantGo was one of my 'must have' applications until, perhaps, about a year ago. it started throwing up error messages and synchronization was hit and miss. It always seemed to be a version or 2 behind Windows Mobile too.
I do miss it. There's definitely a place for the old AvantGo, but as it stands it was only a matter of time until the service closed in my opinion.
Having said that, good luck to AvantGo with whatever it does in the future.
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06-07-2009, 03:35 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 96
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mmm...I've never had any problems syncing with Avantgo since i started using the service in 2002.
The only times I had problems was when their service was down which is probably less than 4 times in 7 years. I guess I am one of those who do not use a smartphone and still with my trusty Ipaq 2750 (I still charge up my beloved Jornada 568 weekly!).
It was a very convenient and no fuss way to download updated content into my pda every day.
Since the announcement, I tried Mobile favourites or mobipocket but since the latest IE8 no longer support saving content for offline viewing, I am unable to sync the data into the pda.
That means effectively for those who use the original pda, there is no real replacement for avantgo....sigh....
__________________
To Boldly Go Where No Palm has gone before.
Capt, RSS Enterprise NCC 1701R
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