Pick a powerful Palm.

The fax machine forever changed the lives of busy, mobile lawyers and their staff members. The personal digital assistant (PDA) may have a similar impact. Recent changes in the PDA market include Palm, Inc.'s, release of its reasonably priced m105 and i705 wireless organizers. To compare Palm models, go to www.palm.com.

All Palm handhelds have excellent address book, calendar, to-do list, and memo applications. The newer models come with infrared ports that let users share (or "beam") information between two units. You can send appointments, address book data, memos, or even whole applications to colleagues within two to three feet, although many applications dislike being beamed. (Star Treks Dr. McCoy wasn't too thrilled about it, either.)

The m105 is an entry-level unit, currently $149, that introduces users to what a wireless PDA can do. With 8 MB of memory and an early-PalmPilot look, it comes with a sporty flip-up antenna for communicating with Palm.net, the company's Internet connection, which provides Web e-mail and a clipping service.

The i705 is $449, but its additional features really round out this marvelous device. For example, it can "listen" for email, even when powered off (in a state similar to a PC's standby mode). It blinks a red light, vibrates, or like conventional e-mail programs, makes a sound when you have new messages.

It comes with a lithium-ion battery, which makes it easier to retain your data when the battery dies unexpectedly--a problem that has plagued users of cell phones and other wireless devices for years. These batteries are truly "charge and forget"--you do not have to fully discharge the unit before recharging it, and you do not have to recharge it fully for it to work.

If you don't like to tap on the touch-screen with a stylus, you can purchase a mini-keyboard for $49.95. This push-button thumb keyboard slides onto the bottom of the i705. That way, you can type in data with your index finger instead of plugging in a full-size keyboard just to note a date, send an e-mail, or instant-message another i705.

Once the company can ensure adequate wireless coverage, these features could make the i705 the communications device of choice for attorneys who must contact the office from court or the road. At this writing, the Palm.net service is available in over 260 U.S. metropolitan areas. Many portable phones and wireless modern options are also available for Palm-compatible devices.

The real allure of the Palm for an attorney with a desktop computer is being able to synchronize the data in the PDA with familiar desktop applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and some case management programs. With additional memory available at little cost---64 MB for $39.95--a PDA can hold as much firm-management information (for example, client contacts, a schedule for the next few years, and e-books on legal topics) as your briefcase. And unlike your briefcase crammed with paper files, you can search your PDA instantly for the information you want.

Learning to use the Palm technology can be your introduction to desktop computers. Now, every lawyer needs to become computer literate. In the future, who will hire a lawyer who can't use a computer or communicate with clients via the Internet?

Various inexpensive, revolutionary add-ons from other vendors are available, such as

* An optical character recognition wand that "reads" text from newspapers, magazine articles, and, conceivably, pleadings, and scans it into your PDA

* An expansion card that allows you to print data from a PDA either through an attached cable or infrared beaming

* Third-party software to connect your Palm to any computer and back up the information to a floppy disk without having to install the Palm Desktop on the PC.

Whether you have a desktop PC or not, a Palm can be an important tool. You get:

Wireless e-mail. Because they cost less than any PC or commercial e-mail program, even the most expensive Palms are a reasonably priced way to access truly useable wireless e-mail.

Fewer crashes. The Palm operating system (OS) is strong and stable. Like the Mac OS, it has matured to the point that crashes are few and far between.

A desktop program. Included in the price of the unit is the Palm Desktop, a time-tested and reliable business application that lets you back up the PDA information to the PC, enter data comfortably into the desktop program, then synchronize the data between the two. A novice computer user can practice with it even on an older computer and take a big step toward computer literacy.

Applications. It's fairly inexpensive to add an application to your Palm. With prices between $15 and $90, you can take a trial-and-error approach in learning to use tools such as Documents To Go, which allows you to keep Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files in your handheld. Some of the applications available are as powerful as similar ones for the PC, but they cost less than video games.

Insurance. Your subscription to Palm.net, which enables you to use Palm's wireless capabilities, can include loss and damage replacement insurance for about $5 a month.

If you can dial one of the new cellular phones, you can use a Palm. In fact, these wireless technologies are beginning to merge--the new Kyocera QCP 6035 cell phone, for example, runs the Palm OS.

Paul Bernstein is an attorney and law-office automation consultant in Chicago. He can be reached by e-mail at [e-mail]. The views expressed in this column are the authors and do not constitute an endorsement of any product by TRIAL or ATLA.