AvantGo being retired

Bob Russell · 06-05-2009, 08:00 PM

Pocket PC Thoughts is reporting that AvantGo is being retired. I'd say this is just a sign of the progress made with availability of mobile content on the web. For some strange reason, even though I haven't used it in years, I'm still sad to see it go. I used it heavily when I first started syncing content from the web to my PDA many years ago. I remember it fondly for the service provided in those early days of mobile web content.

Quote:

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."

Cabe · 06-05-2009, 08:16 PM

I also used it in the days before decent RSS feed integration. I was particularly keen on he way they elegantly reformatted pages around images, which was used extensively on my Palm III.

Chirro pioneers of mobile web, you gave us a taste before the pie.

bzHADI · 06-05-2009, 09:33 PM

i was a user of Avantgo, too. until recently.
i used to synch it with my palm iii, palm m500...
i was also impressed by how it extract useful content from crowded and ugly websites...
i will miss it

junkyardwillie · 06-05-2009, 10:32 PM

Pour out a little liquor

dmon65 · 06-06-2009, 12:54 AM

My Tungsten T3 probably still has the last sync to it still on it! If it still has a charge...

Prost!

hackettt · 06-06-2009, 03:46 AM

Where's my Handspring Visor? One last time for memory's sake.

hyd · 06-06-2009, 04:26 AM

Mmm. Might do a last sync on my Tungsten C for nostalgia's sake.

mercutio54 · 06-06-2009, 12:09 PM

This is sad :-(.

I started using Avantgo many years ago on a Palm IIIc, and I am still using it almost every day on my HTC S740 Winmobile smartphone - it is just perfect for my way to work - in Munich we still don't have mobile networks in the subway.

So do I really have to get used to one of these new-fashioned rss readers

sirhunter2010 · 06-06-2009, 01:35 PM

I used it everyday up until around 2003-04 timeframe. I used to use it on my Original Palm Pro, then on a a couple of Pocket PC's and finally on a Palm TX (which I gave to my wife, she uses it now to read mobi formated books and play solitaire).

I'll sync one last time for old time sake (my account is still active). Avantgo was a great service in it's day. It will be remembered fondly.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 06-06-2009, 01:53 PM

Well, I guess I can give up being annoyed that I couldn't use AvantGo with my N800

I'll be sad to see it go.

Dr. Drib · 06-06-2009, 02:28 PM

I also used it to sync information on my Toshiba E155 PDA that I still have. I guess I'll just have to throw that sucker away now, or donate it to a Peruvian Goodwill Society.

I'll have a Pisco Sour tonight with my Lomo Saltado, and sing a song of days gone by, as I toast the world with a weary sigh...

Don

akira28 · 06-07-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

Pocket PC Thoughts is reporting that AvantGo is being retired. I'd say this is just a sign of the progress made with availability of mobile content on the web. For some strange reason, even though I haven't used it in years, I'm still sad to see it go. I used it heavily when I first started syncing content from the web to my PDA many years ago. I remember it fondly for the service provided in those early days of mobile web content.

Just how is Avantgo's demise progress? You make it sound antiquated or inferior when it isn't. I have used it for years. It is great for aggregating news for reading on the go. Oh well, there is still iSilo.

Dr. Drib · 06-07-2009, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akira28

Just how is Avantgo's demise progress? You make it sound antiquated or inferior when it isn't. I have used it for years. It is great for aggregating news for reading on the go. Oh well, there is still iSilo.

The way I read his sentence is that the integration of RSS feeds has contributed to the demise of Avantgo. Sort of like when I graduated from my Kaypro II computer (using CP/M) in the early 1980s to my Macintosh "Fat Mac" with a whopping 128 megs of ram and a smaller-sized diskette (that'll never be accepted! -hahaha!) and - GOOD GOD! - a graphical interface.

Don

akira28 · 06-07-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

The way I read his sentence is that the integration of RSS feeds has contributed to the demise of Avantgo. Sort of like when I graduated from my Kaypro II computer (using CP/M) in the early 1980s to my Macintosh "Fat Mac" with a whopping 128 megs of ram and a smaller-sized diskette (that'll never be accepted! -hahaha!) and - GOOD GOD! - a graphical interface.

Don

Bob did quote an announcement from someone who thinks data plans have replaced Avantgo type readers. That may be true of some people but not all. Even then the network is not accessible every where, such as a previous poster said, the underground. So in that sense they are indeed inferior.

However, quite bluntly, most RSS feeds suck and they never lived up to their expectations. Very few of them carry full articles, most just listing a sentence or two. Besides, Avantgo could read RSS feeds too.

HarryT · 06-07-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

The way I read his sentence is that the integration of RSS feeds has contributed to the demise of Avantgo. Sort of like when I graduated from my Kaypro II computer (using CP/M) in the early 1980s to my Macintosh "Fat Mac" with a whopping 128 megs of ram and a smaller-sized diskette (that'll never be accepted! -hahaha!) and - GOOD GOD! - a graphical interface.

Don

You're getting your units mixed up again, Don

.

The "Fat Mac" had 512 kilobytes of RAM. It was an upgrade to the original Mac which had 128k.

A Mac with 128MB of RAM back in the '80s would indeed have been something to boast about

.

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06-05-2009, 08:16 PM	#2
Cabe Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 403 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portsmouth, UK Device: Sony PRS-505, iPhone	I also used it in the days before decent RSS feed integration. I was particularly keen on he way they elegantly reformatted pages around images, which was used extensively on my Palm III. Chirro pioneers of mobile web, you gave us a taste before the pie.

06-05-2009, 09:33 PM	#3
bzHADI Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Texas, USA Device: SONY PRS-505	i was a user of Avantgo, too. until recently. i used to synch it with my palm iii, palm m500... i was also impressed by how it extract useful content from crowded and ugly websites... i will miss it

06-05-2009, 10:32 PM	#4
junkyardwillie Addict Posts: 316 Karma: 570 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Onyx Note Pro, Kobo H20 and iPad	Pour out a little liquor

06-06-2009, 12:54 AM	#5
dmon65 Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 562 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Outer suburbs of St Louis Device: SmartQ7, a 1st gen Nook and a Kobo Glo and Aura H2O	My Tungsten T3 probably still has the last sync to it still on it! If it still has a charge... Prost!

06-06-2009, 03:46 AM	#6
hackettt Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 58 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony 505	Where's my Handspring Visor? One last time for memory's sake.

06-06-2009, 04:26 AM	#7
hyd Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Sony PRS 505, Iliad	Mmm. Might do a last sync on my Tungsten C for nostalgia's sake.

06-06-2009, 12:09 PM	#8
mercutio54 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Germany Device: Sony PRS-505	This is sad :-(. I started using Avantgo many years ago on a Palm IIIc, and I am still using it almost every day on my HTC S740 Winmobile smartphone - it is just perfect for my way to work - in Munich we still don't have mobile networks in the subway. So do I really have to get used to one of these new-fashioned rss readers

06-06-2009, 01:35 PM	#9
sirhunter2010 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 267 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505S	I used it everyday up until around 2003-04 timeframe. I used to use it on my Original Palm Pro, then on a a couple of Pocket PC's and finally on a Palm TX (which I gave to my wife, she uses it now to read mobi formated books and play solitaire). I'll sync one last time for old time sake (my account is still active). Avantgo was a great service in it's day. It will be remembered fondly.

06-06-2009, 01:53 PM	#10
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	Well, I guess I can give up being annoyed that I couldn't use AvantGo with my N800 I'll be sad to see it go.

06-06-2009, 02:28 PM	#11
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,737 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	I also used it to sync information on my Toshiba E155 PDA that I still have. I guess I'll just have to throw that sucker away now, or donate it to a Peruvian Goodwill Society. I'll have a Pisco Sour tonight with my Lomo Saltado, and sing a song of days gone by, as I toast the world with a weary sigh... Don

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