AvantGo 4.0 Late But Now Available

Posted By: Ed Friday, April 13, 2001 7:11:43 AM

Late last month, AvantGo announced that a new version of their client software would be released on April 10. It was finally released this morning. It can be downloaded from this teaser page of some of their new wireless services. For non-corporate users, the new client offers 30% faster browsing over wired and wireless connections and a new user interface so individuals can more easily and transition between wireless and offline connectivity modes.

For corporate users, the new version adds wireless infrastructure enhancements to the company’s M-Business Server and its Mobile Engines for the Web, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Exchange.

When asked yesterday when the new version was going to be ready, Karen Logsdon from AvantGo's Corporate Communications said "As a result of our commitment to deliver the best mobile user experience, we have delayed the release of AvantGo 4.0 for the AvantGo mobile Internet service until it meets our stringent quality guidelines. The AvantGo team is working hard to get this product out to you and expect to do so in the very near future."

Related Articles:

On the Web: Thanks to Brian Devendorf for pointing this out. -Ed

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I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 7:33:03 AM #
I will post again when I have looked at it. But it is available.

RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 7:36:28 AM #
The About screen says 4.0, but it looks exactly the same. Wish I wasn't over on my smartphone minutes, I will have to wait until after 10 tonight to try it out.

RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 7:57:03 AM #
It does look exactly the same in offline mode, but there are some very minor UI changes to the buttons at the top when in online mode.

So far so good - really is a bit faster, moving between channels information levels within each channel.



RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
Ed @ 4/13/2001 8:39:30 AM #
They had to wait until I had actually posted an article on it being late to release the new version. * sigh * I wish Ms. Logsdon had told me it was going to released today when I asked her about it late yesterday.

Anyway, could you tell us how big the required files are? There was a lot of concern that this new version was going to even larger than the previous one.

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter

RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
sub_tex @ 4/13/2001 10:32:50 AM #
i have a crap load of channels on my palm, but the prc file in my backup is 307k if that's any judgement.

4.0 is a bit faster. i'm noticing improved speed with going from within a channel back to the default channel list home page. also in opening up a channel for the first time. browsing within channels, though, doesn't seem faster all that much.

RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
PFloyd @ 4/13/2001 11:14:17 AM #
A more general place to download it from would be https://avantgo.com/mydevice/software.html.

RE: I just downloaded 4.0 from the bottom of that teaser
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 12:04:40 PM #
Only the PC installer is up at the moment.

site down??

palmcoder @ 4/13/2001 9:54:44 AM #

Tried to get to the update at 9:50am est and AvantGo's website seems to be crumbling under the pressure...

Anyone else able to access the site today? Is the download available anywhere else? (PalmGear, Handango, etc.)

RE: site down??
palmcoder @ 4/13/2001 10:37:46 AM #
it's back up again...

File Size and comments

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 10:24:21 AM #
Hi,

Downloaded it from the teaser page. No problems with the download.

Installation is seamless.

Once on the Palm you won't even figure out that you've upgraded, unless you check the menu/about which says 4.0 Build 769. This is ofcourse in offline mode only. haven't tested online yet.

File size ( of the main AvantGo .prc ) of the previous AvantGo version was 289k on my Palm. Version 4.0 clocks in at 309k. so not so much of a difference in file size.

-a.

RE: File Size and comments
PFloyd @ 4/13/2001 11:19:23 AM #
Avantgo.prc is 307K, libmal.prc is 156K, and Mobilelink.prc is 41K according to the Palm Install application.

"AvantGo Connect" compatible?

palmcoder @ 4/13/2001 10:39:52 AM #
The "About" screen now lists "AvantGo Connect" compatible whereas it previously said "MobileLink" compatible.

I also noticed that Mobile Link is no longer listed as a conduit and AvantGo Connect has taken its place.

did AvantGo dump Mobile Link and create their own conduit or did they simply rename it to "AvantGo Connect"?



AvantGo Connect
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 12:07:04 PM #
Mobile LInk was created by AvantGo and has been renamed to AvantGo connect.

Wireless *is* faster

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 3:40:21 PM #
I'm browsing through the site (and posting) wirelessly through AvantGo 4.0, and it is noticibly faster than v.3.3. Plus the wireless related icons only show up when you're actually connected (cleaning up the UI). Overall, it's a worthwhile upgrade. (You can visit the Wireless-optimized PalmInfocenter at http://www.palminfocenter.com/palm )
RE: Wireless *is* faster
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/13/2001 7:48:43 PM #
also when browsing it resizes website to the size iof the palm screen....goodbye to scrollingh diesays...it also has a little status bar of the pages loading and shows a secure or not secure connection.

Problems connecting

vendriga @ 4/13/2001 11:01:05 PM #
I have no problems connecting with Avantgo 3.3. I installed Avantgo 4 i had problems connecting to the avantgo server. During the configuration of Avantgo connect it says that the cnnection is established but when I do a hotsync there is an error connecting to avantgo.

What's wrong?

I went back to Avantgo 3.3 and it runs ok!

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/14/2001 6:06:52 AM #
i'm having the same problems. installed 4.0 but it will not connect to the sync.avantgo.com server tried changing all the settings, installed and uninstalled. it made no difference. 3.3 works fine. anybody got any ideas?

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/14/2001 8:27:21 AM #
I'm not able to connect to the avantgo server either.
Server settings are correct, conduit seems to work...
A soft reset didn't help further, too.
Maybe we should delete the libmal ?..

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 9:21:45 AM #
Same problem with me but not any further ideas. Besides I lost the old version. Does anybody know where I can get the 3.3 avantgo version?

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 12:33:28 PM #
about the connecting, you can change the settings in your palm, there is a program "AG Connect";mark the 'Use Secure Connection' option, and there is no problem with connect.

RE: Problems connecting
LeshMan @ 4/16/2001 4:02:12 PM #
I kept getting "Account locked" until I went into the AvantGo Connect --> Connection --> Change --> and Unchecked "Automatically detect settings". Now it works flawlessly.

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 5:23:46 PM #
I haven't been able to get any content since upgrading -- AvantGo Connect hangs, eventually times out, says "AutoDetecting Network Settings", times out again, and reports error 5457 before disappearing.

AvantGo Connect's network connection test works flawlessly, but if you look at the connection test log it's not at all comprehensive. It just tries to fetch a single GIF picture, not any remote content. The databases could all be down and the connection test would work just fine.

Worryingly, AvantGo themselves don't seem to be at all sure about the upgrade. The site mentioned 3.3 about five or six times whilst doing the software install. When raising a support call 4.0 isn't a selectable option. The HotSync log still says "OK Mobile Application Link" (even when it just failed). There's a worrying lack of consistency, here...


RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 8:25:55 PM #
How to make AvantGo 4 work just fine:
* Raise a support case.
* Post a complaint on PalmInfocenter.

If your experience matches mine, you'll get a proper AvantGo content transfer the very first HotSync after performing these steps. :)

Fix to One Solution
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 12:46:47 AM #
Try This on Windows. It Will work:
- Select Start -> Programs -> AvantGo -> AvantGo Connect
- Double click on your server settings.
- Change Port to 443.
- Check "Connect to this server using a secure protocol"

I had this problem and after trying different configurations this worked.



RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 5:09:37 PM #
Working perfectly now. Thanks a lot

RE: Problems connecting
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/1/2002 12:01:44 PM #
Anyone know wehre I can get Avantgo 3.3? $ doesn't sync for me unless I sync about three times.

Mac Version?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/14/2001 10:35:25 AM #
Has anyone installed this on the Mac? All the versions that I get to are for AvantGo3.3 - there doesnt seem to be a 4.0 for Mac yet. Is this correct?

Copy Function Still Useless??

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/14/2001 5:37:35 PM #
I don't get Avantgo's copy function. It is dcisabled on the freeware version or am I doing something wrong.

I would love to be able to copy and paste little tidbits from pages I download but select, select all, and copy are as disfunctional as my inlaws

Any thoughts

RE: Copy Function Still Useless??
Ed @ 4/14/2001 6:38:23 PM #
There is a hack that will let you copy text from AvantGo. It is a little kludgy but it works:
http://lthaler.free.fr/clipstring.htm

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter
RE: Copy Function Still Useless??
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 10:54:52 AM #
the copy function copies the entire visible screen. look at a channel and under the edit menu select copy.

a popup should appear asking if you would like to create (or place?) in memopad.

it'll create a memo with the text you copied.

Copy-Does it or doesn't it?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/15/2001 12:38:52 AM #
ClipHack sucks. Is this "improved" Avantgo supposed to have copy capability or not? My v4.0 is nothing but bigger - and SLOWER! What - do I have to buy the corporate version for $2000 to have MY needs satisfied? I'M UNIMPRESSED!!! Just another example of the guys without big money getting SCREWED AGAIN!

Bleh.

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/15/2001 6:08:01 AM #
I can't believe we waited this long for so little improvement. :/

RE: Bleh.
PFloyd @ 4/16/2001 11:28:22 AM #
I answered one of AvantGo's surveys some time ago and reading between the lines quite a bit I got the impression they were just validating their decision to add color support and improve the wireless support. I think that's basically what they did. I have color but no wireless. And the color support seems pretty nice. In the preferences there's some reference to a Java interpreter. Don't see that anywhere (haven't looked real hard yet but I'm curious).
I'm pretty sure we get more than we pay for here.

4.0 Woes

Gbbles @ 4/15/2001 7:15:29 AM #
I've just upgraded to version 4.0 and seeing in this newsgroup how some have problems connecting to the server, I decided to uninstall v.3.3 from my Palm then installed 4.0. No headaches here. Worth the old college try.

Bloatware?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/15/2001 10:34:14 AM #
After I loaded AvantGo v4, I noticed that my Visor's
memory was *much* diminished. I have a standard
black 2 MB Visor plus an 8 MB flash module. I checked
using File Mover, and found that LIBMAL, formerly
50 KB, was now 150. OK -- no problem. I asked
File Mover if it would move LIBMAL to the cartridge,
and was refused (since LIBMAL is considered a system
file).

What a neat way to keep your product from appearing
to bloat -- farm out the bloat to a system-based
subroutine library.

As I am currently a wired-only user, I am unimpressed.

-Tom Williams
Williams@AB.EDU


Should I get it?

Jubuman @ 4/15/2001 2:32:54 PM #
There seem to be many bugs in 4.0. Shuld I get it.
RE: Should I get it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/15/2001 4:45:46 PM #
i have had no problems with is running os 3.5 on my vx...give it a try...if it doesnt work go back to 3.3./

Don't Bother - It's crap

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 3:41:00 AM #
Don't Bother with v4 - It's crap!!! It's not REALLY meant to satisfy the needs of us "little guys" - only the big-ass corporate folk. To us, Avantgo says, "Screw you - but read the ads." Screw Avantgo!!!
RE: Don't Bother - It's crap
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 9:34:17 AM #
how are you people surprised that AvantGo pays more attention to the enterprise/corporate clients then you. You pay nothing!!! They pay for the product that subsidizes your free client. Shut up. Stop bitching. You get great content for free.

RE: Don't Bother - It's crap
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/16/2001 4:04:40 PM #
If you don't like it don't use it. But then you do use it don't you...

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