All you can handle, brother!
Written: Dec 05 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great Content, Free
Cons: Uses Much Memory
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| jpmcgurk's Full Review: Avantgo |
That's right. The runner up title was All The News That's Fit To Print, er, Be Formated On Your Handheld Screen, but that didn't truly reflect the tremendous scope of all things handheld. AvantGo is a simple software that you download onto your handheld. There are hundreds of "Channels" to choose from, each displaying different content from a variety of sources, and I'm talking variety.
How it Works
For anyone with has a handheld device, you can download the free software at avantgo.com and register for an account. It works with both Palm OS and Pocket PC, as well as wirelessly with certain web phones. You then register for the channels that interest you, and there are hundreds to choose from. Then, depending on if you have a Web-enabled handheld or a standard one, you can view the content that you selected. For a web-enabled handheld, it is viewed in real-time. For a standard handheld, the content is updated each type you sync your device with your PC. The content is re-formated from the source to be easily viewed on your handheld. Headlines are sumarized, and are links to complete stories. Viewing is easy, as good as your device permits.
The Range of Channels
The number of channels available is staggering. Business/Finance, Sports, Technology, Lifestyle, Shopping, Portals, Education, and the list goes on. There are dozens to hundreds of channels available in each area, and a running list of the most popular downloads in available on the front page of the website. Content from sources such as The New York Times, The Industry Standard, ESPN, TheStreet.com, Business Week, Financial Times, The Weather Channel, Map Quest, Yahoo!, The Wall Street Journal, CNET, and on and on. These are just the bigger names. Get local information for your area as well. In addition, channels are available from about eight different countries, so there is something for just about everyone.
Why it's Useful
Easy one: a range of content available and updated whenever I want. Riding the Subway, I can check stock quotes, the latest sports headlines, news, and the weekend's weather forcast. It is useful and compact, and I find myself using it constantly.
Drawbacks
The only drawbacks that I can think of is that AvantGo requires a bit of memory. Depending on the number of channels that you select, it can really start to soak it up. Syncing your handheld takes a few minutes longer, also.
All in all, a very useful service for the handheld user. A "Must Download"!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jpmcgurk
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Location: Sandy, UT
Reviews written: 63
Trusted by: 25 members
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