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Alternatives to AvantGo?

Posted by Cliff on from the looking-for-better-options dept.

docricketts asks: "I've been scoping out some ways to expand the content of a few sites that I manage and have been considering creating versions for PDAs and phones. I've looked around but it looks like AvantGo, at least on PDAs, is the only option for those folks not connected via wireless networks. Now that they have changed their pricing structure, charging $1000 for 'channels' that have one to 100 subscribers, this looks completely inaccessible for content sites that are there to provide info rather than make money. Is AvantGo it, or are there alternatives that I'm not seeing?"

2 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Just be sure to have a "light" URL by netjeff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    My recommendation is to create a "light" version of the site. No frames, no giant tables of contents, simple little graphics at most. If it's a site that updates often, be sure that the user will not have to specify a different URL everyday to get the latest (most current) day.

    Then on your "regular" page, offer a link to the light page. That way people can use whatever they want. Personally I use Plucker, but as noted in this thread there are other options.

    For an example, take a look at RISKs digest.
    http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks

    Down in the middle they have a link to the latest version of the digest (http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/go/risks/latest). That link is to a much lighter than the "full" version of the latest digest.

  2. Re:No WinCE/PocketPC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
    Then don't use it!

    These guys don't work for you, or for anyone, they work for themselves. They write whatever code they thing will be useful TO THEM. I don't think the WinCE platform is open, and probably won't give you a free toolkit to produce software for it, and, well, it's Windows-based, so they aren't in a rush to go out and support your platform, since it's probably not in their best interests.

    Get someone else to port it, Plucker IS open source.