Content area
Full Text
Best Notebook AlternativesCures for airport security hassles, mucky keyboards, and crushed clavicles.James A. Martin
Sign up to have the Mobile Computing Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.
* Feature: How to Choose the Ideal Notebook Alternative *
Airport security hassles. Coffee spilled on your keyboard. A bulky shoulder bag that crushes your clavicle. Aside from that last teensy exaggeration, this is the joy of traveling with a notebook.
But with cell phones morphing into smart phones, and PDAs acting more and more like miniature PCs, who says you need to lug a laptop? I vowed over six months ago not to travel with a notebook again unless absolutely necessary. So far, I've done just fine without one.
Ready to take the dare yourself? Just figure out which notebook alternative is right for you, based on the mobile professional profile below that best describes you.
Hopeless E-Mail Addict
Profile: You carry a computer on trips primarily for e-mail.
Recommendations: Research In Motion's BlackBerry is such a hugely popular e-mail device, it's often dubbed "CrackBerry" because of its addictive powers. The BlackBerry features a personal information management program, a built-in keyboard, and e-mail delivered automatically, like messages to a pager.
The BlackBerry is probably your best bet for e-mail on the go. But its PIM programs aren't as robust as those on Palm OS or Pocket PC devices.
If that's important, Palm devotees should consider the PalmOne Treo 600 (about $450, depending on the carrier). The Treo 600 combines cell phone, e-mail, Web browsing, and a digital camera in one device.
For Pocket PC users, T-Mobile offers the Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition. As of this writing, the device is one of the few wireless devices running the most recent version of Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system for phones. Details: http://www.t-mobile.com/ products/images.asp?phoneid=216840&class=pda
If you primarily pick up e-mail over a Wi-Fi connection, Pocket PC users should also consider Dell's new Axim X30. More on that in "Perpetual Web Surfer."
Reseller/service provider Motient sells a 2MB model of the BlackBerry 850 for $99. This basic monochrome device is designed primarily for e-mail and organizer programs.
At the high end, the color-screen BlackBerry 7750 provides cell phone service, Web browsing, and e-mail with attachment viewing. It costs $500...