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Software review : AvantGo 05 for Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

Version 1.

While AvantGo client is availble for various mobile devices already for years, the new version released just this year, brings many improvements and now it is not just an add-on to Internet Explorer, but a full-blown stand-alone application with its own HTML browser (with JavaScript).

To download AvantGo client for your device you cannot just go to download page and get it: you must go to AvantGo.com and log-in there (registration is free). Once logged-in you can manage your channels with regular Internet browser in your PC, and you can also download AvantGo software for your specific mobile device.

Once you run the installation program in your PC and install the AvantGo client in your Pocket PC, you can start it: just go to Programs and tap on the icon "AvantGo".

When you open AvantGo client in Pocket PC for the first time, then you have to enter user name and password (that you can acquire by free registration at AvantGo.com):

AVantGo for Pocket PC

After entering the user name and password, if your mobile device is not connected to PC but is connected to Internet (for example over Wi-Fi), the synchronization starts and all AvantGo channels are being downloaded from the server of AvantGo:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Please note above that the only connection that is activated is between your mobile device and server of AvantGo : sync.avantgo.com ! No connections between your mobile device (or PC in case of off-line synchronizing) and servers of individual AvantGo channels are being opened! Also the data between AvantGo server and mobile AvantGo client in your mobile device is compressed, therefore it is faster than direct access to each of these websites.

Once the channels has been loaded you can view them in your AvantGo client as if viewing them with Internet browser: first you see the list of all channels to which you subscribed:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

... and upon clicking on a selected channel it opens in a special format that is easily viewable in mobile devices:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

You can of course manage your channels:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

... what means: add channels, browse channels by category, search catalog of chanels and remove channels from the list of those to which you already subscribed. You can also create custom channels from any URL and edit layout of the channels.

Next tab in the window are account settings:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

... where you can configure such options as "Enable Wireless Features" and "Go Online Automatically". If you check "Enable Wireless Features" option then:

you have possiblity to sync individual channels only - not all at once
you can browse thousands of available AvantGo channels (to full ones - that in AvantGo´s catalog)
you can use AvantGo client as web browser

"Go Online Automatically" options enabled automatic synchronization, so that sync is started automatically each time mobile device gets connected to Internet.

The last section is help section:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

In the options dialog (accesible from menu) one can notice that the built-in browser of AvantGo client supports JavaScript:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Another options, available through Tools/Options are server settings, where you can change AvantGo user name and password and add or change accounts:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Interestingly if you are behind firewall, you can use proxy servers to acccess AvantGo servers:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Since all AvantGo channels are being loaded locally to the mobile device, another very nice feature of AvantGo client is local search possibility (accessible from menu):

AVantGo for Pocket PC

... and upon selection of some search result a page with the searched phrase appears and this phrase is selected:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Interestingly one can use AvantGo client to browse Internet wirelessly, as if it would be a web browser:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

However this AvantGo in a function of web browser is using servers in "avantgo.com" domain as a kind of proxy server:

AVantGo for Pocket PC

And here is the "About" dialog that shows, which version have we been reviewing here (the latest as of January 2005):

AVantGo for Pocket PC

Conclusions

Advantages:

it is possible to synchornize channels wirelessly - without the need to connect to PC computer
AVantGo channels deliver a lot of unique content not available otherwise in mobile format (but only in full format with a lot of banners and formatting for PC).

Disadvantages:

download of AvantGo client software is not possible without log-in to the website of AvantGo
download of AvantGo client software is not possible wirelessly with mobile Internet - one needs to use PC computer
still no version for Microsoft Smartphone (i.e. Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone), but only for Pocket PC

Overall conclusion: AvantGo 05 brings significant improvements over former version and now it offers its own HTML browser - it is not just a plug-in for Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer (IE). Contrary to common beliefs, AvantGo is a very effective way of browsing information in mobile device and it is possible to browse (not just synchronize) web page fully wirelessly! Alternatively users could use IE and bookmark simply mobile versions of websites, but it is less effective than AvantGo and not all content that is available as AvantGo channels, is available in mobile format. Yes, AvantGo, is a very effective way to browse information with your mobile device.

Related links:

website of AvantGo - you can download there AvantGo client for your device and you can there manage your subscriptions (after logging-in, registration is free)
channel details about AvantGo channel of msmobiles.com - you can click there on "Add Channel to My Device" link to subscribe to our channel.