Two-way tumult.Find out which wireless messaging device is right for you When it comes to high fashion, there's no such thing as one size fits all. The same holds true for high-tech gadgetry gadg·et·ry n. 1. Gadgets considered as a group. 2. The design or construction of gadgets. Noun 1. gadgetry - appliances collectively; "laborsaving gadgetry" . Of late, two-way messaging has been the rage, with an array of devices targeted at everyone from kids to mobile professionals. These devices differ from other handhelds because they include radio transmitters that allow them to send and receive messages without additional hardware. If you're in the market for a wireless messaging device, here's what you need to know to choose the one that's right for you. MOTOROLA TALKABOUT T900 Motorola is clearly the leader in wireless products and services. Its two latest entries target both the businessperson and the consumer. The Talkabout T900 is a fairly compact unit targeted at those who merely want to stay in touch with friends and family but don't need a personal information manager (PIM (1) (Protocol Independent Multicast) A multicast routing protocol endorsed by the IETF. Used in conjunction with an existing unicast routing protocol, it comes in two flavors: Dense Mode (PIM-DM) is used when recipients in the target group are in a concentrated ) to keep them organized. About the size of a conventional one-way pager, the T900 is a compact and fun device that comes in colors such as Razberry Ice and Mystic Blue. It flips open to reveal a four-line, 80-character display and full QWERTY keyboard The standard English language typewriter keyboard. Q, W, E, R, T and Y are the letters on the top left, alphabetic row. Designed by Christopher Sholes, who invented the typewriter, the keyboard layout was organized to prevent people from typing too fast and jamming the keys. that are fine for quick messages but can make reading and writing long e-mails tedious. The unit can receive news alerts and will send and receive text, numeric pages, and e-mail. The Talkabout can store up to 250 contacts. Priced at $200, it's a good choice if you like to stay in touch but don't need a weightier PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). on your hip. MOTOROLA TIMEPORT P935 One step up the two-way evolutionary ladder is Motorola's Timeport P935. Targeted to a more professional user, the P935 has more features, expandability, and heft than its intensely hued hued adj. Having a given hue, aspect, or character. Often used in combination: rosy-hued; dark-hued. sibling. It also sports the clamshell design, though with a considerably larger keyboard and screen that make it more suited for business correspondence. The Timeport can send and receive e-mail, send group messages, and even transmit faxes and voice messages (depending on service plan and coverage area). The unit also includes the Wisdom 4.0 operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. , which lets you synchronize See synchronization. contacts, addresses, and appointments with your PC. The interface is intuitive and lets you easily manage messages, individual contacts, and groups. The P935 can also beam information to other infrared-enabled devices. In practice the device works like a charm, keeping you in touch without the annoyance of a cell phone. And although it's certainly more capable of handling long e-mail than the T900, it is more suited to shorter correspondences. The unit can connect to your corporate e-mail account e-mail account n → cuenta de correo for secure transmissions, and software upgrades from Motorola and third-party providers promise Internet access See how to access the Internet. and a host of other applications for features such as financial tracking, airline scheduling, and restaurant listings. The P935 has a good backlight back·light n. A type of spotlight, used in photography, that illuminates a subject from behind. tr.v. back·light·ed or back·lit , back·light·ing, back·lights that illuminates both the screen and the keys for those late-night missives. At $399 it's a good bet for the extremely mobile professional who needs information at the ready. RESEARCH IN MOTION BLACKBERRY RIM 957 Research in Motion (RIM) currently occupies the highest rung on the two-way messaging ladder. The RIM 957 (also called the BlackBerry) is a mobile e-mail monster. Designed specifically for corporate users, it incorporates e-marl functionality with PIM synchronization (1) See synchronous and synchronous transmission. (2) Ensuring that two sets of data are always the same. See data synchronization. (3) Keeping time-of-day clocks in two devices set to the same time. See NTP. and contact management in a unit barely larger than the svelte Palm V. Unfortunately, the BlackBerry's corporate heritage precludes any trendy styling or colors--but it gets the job done. Rather than using a touchscreen like the Palm, the BlackBerry incorporates a QWERTY keyboard for data entry at the bottom of the unit. Though small, the keyboard is easy to use once you get the hang of it. To navigate your way around the operating system, you'll need to use the side-mounted track wheel. While clever and useful, the track wheel seems better suited to right-handed users. It also tends to get tedious when scrolling through long messages. But what this device does best is e-mail. The screen can display 16 to 20 lines of text at a time. For messages that exceed the transmit limit of approximately 10KB, the device allows you to view the rest by selecting the More option from the menu. While viewing a message you can reply, save, forward (with or without text), and search messages by simply pushing the track wheel. You can have your corporate e-mail forwarded to the device, so you'll only need to have one e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address . But the BlackBerry is not without its drawbacks. For starters, the backlight is not very good--even in total darkness. What's more, the keyboard isn't lit, so typing in low light will require you to use a "third-party device" such as a lighter or cell phone to illuminate the keys. Although the device syncs with PIMs, it is currently only compatible with corporate "Exchange" versions of Microsoft Outlook For the e-mail and news client bundled with certain versions of Microsoft Windows, see . Microsoft Outlook or Outlook (full name Microsoft Office Outlook . However, RIM assures users that a software upgrade is on the way. Still, for mobile professionals who need access to full-scale e-mail, the $499 RIM 957 is the best bet on the market. Motorola Talkabout T900 Provider: Skytel (www.skytel.com) $29.95 monthly for 500 messages of up to 100 characters each. Each additional message is 5 cents. Motorola Timeport P935 Provider: Skytel $34.95 monthly for 1,400 messages of up to 100 characters each. Each additional message is 10 cents. Motorola Talkabout T900 and Timeport T935 Provider: Weblink Wireless Up to 100 characters Lite: $14.95 monthly for 250 messages and 6 cents per message after that. Basic: $19.95 monthly for 1,000 messages and 5 cents per message after that. Deluxe: $29.95 monthly for 2,000 weekday and 1,000 weekend messages and 5 cents per message after that. BlackBerry RIM 957 Provider: BlackBerry (www.blackberry.net) Flat-rate wireless e-mail service $39.95 per month Provider: Aether (www.aethersystems.com) $39.95 per month Provider: GoAmerica (www.goamerica.com) Go.Lite: $29.95 activation fee, plus $9.95 per month for first 25KB. Each additional kilobyte will incur an additional fee of: 10 cents per KB for CDPD Network 30 cents per KB for BSWD Network Go. Unlimited: $59.95 per month AOL Mobile Communicator Provider.. America Online (www.aol.com) $19.95 per month RELATED ARTICLE: For the AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. crowd America Online See AOL. has entered the two-way messaging fray with the AOL Mobile Communicator. Aimed squarely at the consumer market, the device lets AOL users connect to e-mail and instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or services. The device features a 31-key QWERTY keyboard and lets you access numbers, punctuation, and special characters such as AOL's infamous "smileys." Priced at $329.95, the Mobile Communicator is available online to AOL members who want to take their e-mail and buddy lists A list of colleagues, workgroup members, friends, etc., that you might wish to communicate with via instant messaging. See instant messaging. on the road--without lugging a laptop along. The device uses Research in Motion hardware based on the RIM 950 platform and runs on the Cingular Wireless network. The AOL Mobile Communicator service is available for an additional subscription fee of $19.95 per month. --Sonya A. Donaldson |
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