Avantgo Mini-review

Avantgo recently released a new version so last nite i decided to give it a spin. I had used avantgo in the past but find it rather slow specially if you configure it to use the memory stick as well as updating wirelessly also takes too much time since there's no option to select just the channels you would like to update. Anyway the new version has a revamped UI and added the option of selecting just the channels you want to update.

Ok, it seems the new version is a bit faster than the old one but still nowhere near the speed of good ol' plucker (still the best free mobile offline reader so far!). Also the option to selectively update your channel seems to work pretty well. One of the big difference of avantgo against plucker is its ability to render html tables exactly the way they appear on the original content. That means HBO's pda version is displayed in table format and do not become a flat list like they do in plucker.

Here's a list of channels that i subscribe to:

- CNN International
- Reuters (This is how mobile news should be presented. With pictures!)
- Inq7 (One major gripe with this channel is its rather lack of consistency. Not all the links point to a mobile version of the news. A good example is the Business section with links that point to the full page version on the main site. Gedemet! Kaya nga tinawag na mobile version eh!)
- Wired News (Full length technology related articles in )
- Quezon City Weather (Five day weather forecast courtesy of Yahoo mobile)
- Forbes
- Manila Bulletin (Kudo's to the webmasters of the mobile site. It truly contains all the news in mobile format)

All in all, it seems good enough for daily use again. Let's see...