PockeTTY from DejaVu Software

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.dejavusoftware.com/pocketty/">http://www.dejavusoftware.com/pocketty/</a><br /><br />DejaVu Software has released PockeTTY 1.0. PocketTTY turns your Pocket PC into a portable terminal emulator. Use it to remotely administer your *nix machine, check your e-mail at work, or test hardware through a direct connection. PockeTTY offers three kinds of connections:<br /><br />•SSH - Log into a remote machine through a secure connection. Supports SSH1 and SSH2.<br />•Telnet - Easily connect to most any remote host.<br />•Serial - Connect directly to your IR port, configure your network gear, anything that can be reached through a serial line.<br /><br />PockeTTY costs $39.95. There is a trial version that limits your connections to 5 minutes. All Pocket PCs are supported, as well as Palm-sized PC, Handheld PC, Handheld PC Pro and Handheld PC 2000 devices.

[tjy]

I think $40 for a dumb terminal emulator is very expensive.

[Jorj Bauer]

I think $40 for a dumb terminal emulator is very expensive.

If it were just a serial terminal, I would agree with you. We've priced it at $39.95 because it's an SSH client. We feel this price is reasonable given the amount of effort we had to put in to the product (including getting it approved for export by the US government), the functionality of the application, and the current PocketPC/Windows CE SSH offerings. We feel that this is the first affordable SSH client for the platform.

Of course, differing opinions are always welcome. Feel free to let us know how you feel by sending us email at

[email protected]

-- Jorj Bauer

[tjy]

While I agree with some of what you say, some I do not. The effort you spent getting the US govt. to approve it for export should not be charged to domestic purchasers. This was done to expand your market and not to the benefit of US consumjers.
thanks, tjy

[sheik]

How about offering a free version which does standard Telnet only?

Users who want the security of SSH could then pay for it.

I like the idea of a five minute trial though (assuming the program doesn't time out after 14 days or something). This is just long enough to do the odd bit of remote administration but anyone that needed the app for work would be encouraged to pay.

I hope this is helpful feedback!

/\dam

[Jorj Bauer]

How about offering a free version which does standard Telnet only?

In principle, I agree with the "limit the features and sell it for less" idea. I'll have to bring it up at our next policy meeting and see how everyone reacts to it. The major problem is that we would wind up supporting two effective code bases (thanks to Microsoft, it's difficult enough to create one project for multiple CE platforms; trying to support two feature sets inside one project exponentially adds to the complication). We're a *very* small company, and would really rather spend our time developing more great products!

I like the idea of a five minute trial though (assuming the program doesn't time out after 14 days or something).

Nope, no 14-day timeout or anything. It's free for use 5 minutes at a time.

Thanks for the feedback!

-- Jorj

[Ed Hansberry]

In principle, I agree with the "limit the features and sell it for less" idea. I'll have to bring it up at our next policy meeting and see how everyone reacts to it. The major problem is that we would wind up supporting two effective code bases (thanks to Microsoft, it's difficult enough to create one project for multiple CE platforms; trying to support two feature sets inside one project exponentially adds to the complication).
Not sure how your registration process works but you could distribute the same binary and have it enable certian features based on the reg code. No code - 5 min. time out. $15 code? Telnet only. $39 code? The works. Same binary. Just a thought. I think you will get a lot of the $15 registrations (or whatever you decide on for telnet) for people that want to remotely administer machines either from within the LAN where security is not an option or for those with VPN that wouldn't need SSH.

Now, what I want to know is are you still working on Inkspot? I really want a newsreader but neither yours nor NewsForce do it for me. :( Any updates in the works? Maybe I could get Forte to do Pocket Agent. :wink:

[Jorj Bauer]

Not sure how your registration process works but you could distribute the same binary and have it enable certian features based on the reg code.

Thanks for the suggestion; I'll bring it up with the others folks.

Now, what I want to know is are you still working on Inkspot?

The answer is yes! We're in the middle of a total rewrite. Send us some email with the features you want ([email protected]) and we'll see how feasible they are. We don't have a good timeline just yet, but it's still in the works!

[ExtremeSIMS]

Well, I don't think $40 is too much for SSH capability. Hell, look at the desktop Windows packages. Yes, you can download SSH for free for private use, or compile openssh in Cygwin, but for real commercial use, it's gonna cost. (Thank goodness I use a Mac - just pop open a terminal and go.)

However, I just bought my Pocket PC (e740) when my Sharp Zaurus met a horrible death, so I have to wait on PocketTTY. :(

[bamse]

For personal use there's no way I'd pay $40 for an SSH client. Even for corporate use it's a bit on the pricey side. But if I had got used to it from using it for personal stuff I would probably get my company to pay for a license the day I need it for business purposes.

Why don't you make it free (or at least very cheap) for personal use?

[gpspassion]

The answer is yes! We're in the middle of a total rewrite. Send us some email with the features you want ([email protected]) and we'll see how feasible they are. We don't have a good timeline just yet, but it's still in the works!

er not to sound impatient or anything but I guess it's been a while ;-) Any update on a new version of InkSpot?

[rpommier]

yeah, update Inkspot :multi:

I've been wanting a new version, it still works well enough but it's an old, although well written CE app. I'm amazed it has worked through all of my PDA's. Philips Nino 320, Jornada 525, 565, Ipaq 3955, 2210! That says alot about the quality of the code.

Anyway, I would gladly pay $20 or so for an upgrade to Inkspot, I use it everyday. It's frustrating that there are no other alternatives out there except for Newsforce which hasn't been updated in years either.

[gpspassion]

Let's do it ;-)

There isn't a lot to fix IMHO. My biggest complaint is that you can't just download the headers and then double-click on them to download the message like Agent or Newsforce let you do.

I can't really think of anything else.

[rpommier]

Let's do it ;-)

There isn't a lot to fix IMHO. My biggest complaint is that you can't just download the headers and then double-click on them to download the message like Agent or Newsforce let you do.

I can't really think of anything else.

Oh I can :)

First they could just fix all of the little things that are broken from the WinCE days. Make it download the messages faster. Your idea would be a good compromise though, I could live with an option to either download headers or messages.

A way to watch threads would be good. A better way of identifying quoted text, sometimes the reply is the same color as the quoted text.
---------
I really like Inkspot, I just can't figure out why it hasn't been getting any attention in the last 3yrs or so.

[Jorj Bauer]

I really like Inkspot, I just can't figure out why it hasn't been getting any attention in the last 3yrs or so.

Hey! I didn't realize there was actual conversation still going on with this thread. I wonder what happened to my notifications. Well, no matter... I'll just answer this implied question 4 months late.

The reason, I'm sorry to say, is that we've done something like three complete rewrites of Ink Spot CE in the last three years. Each time we've come up with some reason to break it back down and start over. :( (If we can't get it right, we're not going to release it.)

Since we're a really small company, we don't have the resources to devote to continually re-developing the same solution, so we took a break. And that's when PockeTTY came out.

We're still working on Ink Spot CE 2.0. We have some great infrastructure that we hope to build on (from previous attempts at an Ink Spot CE 2.0). And as soon as we get PockeTTY 2.0 squared away (there are some great features coming up; stay tuned), we'll be giving Ink Spot CE another try.

[rpommier]

Good enough then, glad you got around to releasing r3 anyhow :D

Keep me in mind if you ever need to test one of those versions of Inkspot, even though some features don't work, it's still the best out there...

Regards,