AvantGo Offering Extra Channel Capacity
AvantGo is offering hardcore users of its service the ability to buy extra channel capacity. Currently, users are limited to 2 MB of channels but AvantGo will now allow people who want more to have 8 MB for an annual fee of $20, though it currently has a special introductory price of $15. It should be emphasized that the service is still free for those who are happy with just 2 MB.
When AvantGo first started up most Palm OS handhelds had much less RAM than they do now and 2 MB was probably more than most users could even store. However, since then many 16 MB handhelds have been released and many power users have been asking for more capacity.
AvantGo is a proxy-based service so every channel downloaded comes through one of its servers. As a free service for users, AvantGo has been struggling to become profitable and apparently can't afford to put additional load on its servers, as adding channel capacity for everyone would do. Charging for the extra capacity allows the few who need more room to get what they want and cover the cost without affecting those who are content with 2 MB.
"Looking ahead, we expect this to be the first in a series of value-added solutions to enhance the power and utility of this popular service," said Richard Owen, AvantGo's CEO.
The AvantGo Mobile Internet Service currently has over 6 million registered users.
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RE: Good Deal
finally AvantGo is making it possible for me to give some money to them. As strange as it sounds: now that AvantGo is struggeling I find it better to shell out 15 bucks a year than seeing the service disapear one day. This solution is pretty clever cause they are keeping their customer base and still will be making some money.
Phil
RE: Good Deal
now Vindigo, on the other hand, i wouldnt pay for the service. $25 for a walking yellowpages just doesnt seem to be worth getting... and since their resturant listing is no longer provided by Zagat...
just my 2.5 cents
RE: Good Deal
Avantgo and Pumatech being delisted on the Nasdaq!?
PUMA $0.36
AVGO $0.59
Delisting coming!?
"Our stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq National Market. The Nasdaq Stock Market's Marketplace Rules impose certain minimum financial requirements on us for the continued listing of our stock. One such requirement is a minimum bid price on our stock of $1.00 per share be maintained over a certain period of time prescribed by Nasdaq. Our stock price has fallen below the minimums set forth by those rules. We received a letter from Nasdaq stating that we have until September 4, 2002 for our stock price to remain above $1.00 for 10 consecutive days. One of the measures we may undertake to avoid being delisted is a reverse stock split."
"Our enterprise software and services compete primarily with offerings from the following types of companies:
o server synchronization software providers, including Palm,
Inc., PUMATECH, Inc., Extended Systems and Oracle Corporation;
o handheld application development environment providers,
including PUMATECH, Inc., IBM Corporation and Microsoft
Corporation;
o application service providers, including Aether Systems, Inc.;
o mobile personal information management application providers,
including Synchrologic and Extended Systems;
o mobile sales force automation application providers, including
Siebel Systems;
o mobile pharmaceutical application providers, including
Dendrite; and
o mobile delivery application providers, including Aether
Systems, Inc.
Our AvantGo Mobile Internet Service competes with the service offerings from the following types of companies:
o value-added wireless service providers, such as Palm, Inc.'s
Palm.Net and GoAmerica, Inc.; and
o wireless Internet portals, such as InfoSpace, Inc. and Oracle
Corporation's Portal to Go."
Some excerpts from AVGO's 10Q
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/020814/avgo10-q.html
I know how to use the money ...
UPGRADE THE PALM CLIENT !!! High resolution, high resolution, high resolution and jog dial support.
Pleeeaaase!!!
Phil
RE: I know how to use the money ...
RE: I know how to use the money ...
Take a look at Handstory - They can do it - why canīt AvantGo.
Phil
RE: I know how to use the money ...
We love the service and will gladly pay for the extra content. Can you please release a hi-res+ version? Auto scrolling and memory card support would be priceless. Dropping the ads would be great too for paying subscribers. They get distorted anyway.
My .02
RE: I know how to use the money ...
Phil
Be nice, everybody!
Power users and casual users alike should help AvantGo get through their financial troubles ;-)
RE: Be nice, everybody!
NO ADS
(realistically, they are no big deal.... but it'd be a nice gesture)
RE: NO ADS
AvantGo Professional
why donīt you offer a free palm client without the online browser feature and a professional version with build in online browser, high resolution, more channel capacity and maybe some more features (just like Plam Digital Media / Peanutpress does with the Palmreader).?
Youīll make a lot of money, believe me.
Phil
PS: Sorry for the three million postings - but Iīm really interested in AvantGoīs future.
RE: AvantGo Professional
From my point of view a professional version of avantgo would make a lot of sense.
With regards
Stefan D. from Mannheim, Germany
MS - External Cards
RE: MS - External Cards
RE: MS - External Cards
Why not try Plucker?
It's harder to set up, but you've only got to set it up once. :)
The only thing that AG's got over them (That I can see) are two-way conduits.
RE: Why not try Plucker?
First, my local newspaper, Sac Bee, is only available on Avantgo, as is Cnet News.
Also, I like to update my news without using a computer. I often use Avantgo's modem sync feature with my Cell phone or landline modem.
Let me get all the sites I want and have a modem sync and I'd switch right away.
Mac OS X
p.s.: storing my channels on my 64 MB MMC would be cool, too.
RE: Mac OS X
I hear Plucker is nice if you are willing to take some time setting it up and want something for free.
I used to love Avantgo, but their server would be down too often, the browse took way too much space, and the options are too limited. I don't really miss them anymore.
-------
James Sorenson
RE: Mac OS X
Also, what's with the "NO HI RES" stance. Jeez guys, this has been available for over a year as well and another whiff on the part of AvantGo. Very lame. Everything will be hi-res pretty soon... what will you do then, AvantGo? Argue the merits of 160x160 pixelated, dull images ;-)
Good luck! You're gonna need it!
RE: Mac OS X
"I would like to inform you that I am a long-time user of AvantGo and consider it one of the best reasons to own a PDA. Now that I use Mac OS X on all my computers I am unfortunately unable to use your service. As disappointing as that is, your FAQ entry addressing it is more so. Saying that you are unable to develop a conduit and are waiting for help from Apple and Palm is unbelievable. And your statement that you "hope to support this platform in the future but do not know for sure if/when we will" leads one to believe that you have no further intention of working on the problem. Thousands of developers large and small are releasing applications for OS X and surely they do not all wait for help from Apple. Nor do I suspect you would simply quit working on the product if you had a problem with Windows XP.
I am ready to pay for your extra capacity service the minute you release a working conduit for Mac OS X. I hope that that occurs soon."
Scott
Where to sign up?
I wasn't able to, and am suspecting that they haven't yet set their website up for taking orders.
Just signed up
A very clever move on their part to allow fans to contribute without alienating the general user base. Hope enough people sign up to keep them afloat.
RE: Just signed up
RE: Just signed up
Regards
Stefan D.
With regards
Stefan D. from Mannheim, Germany
Finally...
Back in the day, I was looking into developing an AvantGo version of my personal site. We're talking no-budget one-guy out-of-his-basement stuff, so naturally I couldn't pay the prices they were asking. Hence the project was scrapped. Since then I have talked to other hobbyists who suffered the same fate.
Give the users a chance to add valuable content. The more varied content AvantGo has, the more subscribers will flock to it - hopefully paying those $20 per year to support the service. There's more to AvantGo than megabucks companies rolling out PDA-friendly versions of their corporate websites.
AvantGo Way To Go!
Yeah, they probably should upgrade their client - like clipping articles or selected text for saving, Hi-Res, etc.
I have tried Handstory, Plucker, iSilo and all of them are not as easy to use as AvantGo and I hope they stay in business and that's why I signed up.
Their earlier silly plan to limit channels was dumb but this is one so far is smart. $14.95/19.95 per year is not too much to pay.
RE: AvantGo Way To Go!
RE: AvantGo Way To Go!
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Good Deal
I for one had NO problem putting down the $15 (limited time price) for this extra amount of service. With the money I save by not purchasing magazines and such.. it's a drop in the bucket.
No matter what I feel like reading on any particular day, it will be available and I won't have to make choices due to limited channel availability..
Definately a happy camper :-)