Newsgator Releases Newsgator Go! for Windows Mobile

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.newsgator.com/NGOLProduct.aspx?ProdId=NewsGator+Mobile&ProdView=overview' target='_blank'>http://www.newsgator.com/NGOLProduc...odView=overview</a><br /><br /></div><i>"If you spend a lot of time on the go and are looking for a way to keep up to date with all the latest news and information, then NewsGator Go! is just what you are looking for. NewsGator Go! gives you the ability to track and manage all your RSS content on your Windows Mobile device. Best of all, when you read something on your mobile device or clip an article from your mobile device that action is then synchronized with all NewsGator products."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20060921-NewsgatorGo.gif" /><br /><br />This is an exciting announcement -- my biggest hurdle with reading RSS on Pocket PCs was the fact that I'd have to rescan the same articles on the desktop when I got to my home or my office, and as such I never bothered trying out one of the Pocket PC RSS readers. However, Newsgator is finally offering a client with <i>sync</i> capabilities, which integrates nicely with FeedDemon and NetNewsWire, two of the most popular RSS readers on the market. The only remaining question is how good the RSS reader is, given that it's a bit expensive at $29.95. If you've tried it, please report back and let us know.

[patrickj]

I've done a short review of NewsGator Go. Quick summary is that it is promising, for exactly the reasons mentioned in your post - the ability to sync and not overlap on your reading and wading through posts, but interface-wise it has a ways to go. If you're interested, review is at:
http://justanothermobilemonday.com/Wordpress/2006/09/21/review-newsgator-go-very-promising-very-flawed/

[Janak Parekh]

Thanks, I took a look. Overall your review is spot-on, as I tried the client as well. However, the OK button isn't completely the Newsgator guys' fault; most WM5 Pocket PC Phones, like my 700w, have a hardware OK button which solves that problem.

Still divided, though, on whether I'll buy it. I'll have to try it some more first. ;-) A faster sync would be helpful, along with some of the other features you mentioned.

--janak

[Perry Reed]

Syncing is definitely nice. I do it a different way. I use Outlook 2007 (beta)'s RSS feed feature which, as I'm sure you all know, puts the RSS entries into Outlook folders and treats them more or less like email. Since I use a hosted Exchange service for my email, I simply sync those same folders to my Pocket PC like I would any email folder. When I read the messages or delete them on my PPC, they're marked as read or deleted on the server and therefore in Outlook as well.

Works like a charm.

[Janak Parekh]

That is a cool way to do it, although I would say there are two key requirements for that to work:

1. Exchange Server availability/dependence;

2. A workstation constantly running Outlook to populate the appropriate Exchange mailbox.

Newsgator is a great consumer solution that doesn't require either of these. Interestingly, Newsgator's first product was a Outlook plugin that would, in fact, populate either PST or Exchange folders; however, their standalone RSS clients are more popular nowadays. I think one reason that's the case is because treating RSS as email requires you to skim them all, whereas most dedicated RSS readers let the oldest posts "fall off the end" if desired.

--janak

[Perry Reed]

That is a cool way to do it, although I would say there are two key requirements for that to work:

1. Exchange Server availability/dependence;

2. A workstation constantly running Outlook to populate the appropriate Exchange mailbox.

Very true, so definitely not the perfect solution for everyone. But it works well for me.

Newsgator is a great consumer solution that doesn't require either of these. Interestingly, Newsgator's first product was a Outlook plugin that would, in fact, populate either PST or Exchange folders; however, their standalone RSS clients are more popular nowadays. I think one reason that's the case is because treating RSS as email requires you to skim them all, whereas most dedicated RSS readers let the oldest posts "fall off the end" if desired.

Yep, I've used the Outlook plug-in. I dumped it for another one called IntraVnews, however, because that one could pull in the full HTML content of entries for those sites that don't publish full RSS entries. Outlook 2007 does that too, although not quite as well.

But as for old messages, I simply delete once I've read them as I would any email (except for those few that I want to keep as reference material).

[Perry Reed]

That is a cool way to do it, although I would say there are two key requirements for that to work:

1. Exchange Server availability/dependence;

You know, now that I think about it, I don't believe this is a dependence. You can get the same effect simply by syncing your RSS folders directly with your PC. I haven't tried it this way but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.

[Janak Parekh]

You know, now that I think about it, I don't believe this is a dependence. You can get the same effect simply by syncing your RSS folders directly with your PC. I haven't tried it this way but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work.
Yeah, that's possible, but that'd eliminate the possibility of a wireless sync scenario.

--janak

[alexkro]

$30 bucks for an app that just reads the feeds? Give me a break. For $15 I would actually consider it. But for what it is now I'm not even going to read its feature list.