Whether you travel across town or around the world, keeping in touch is a challenge. Away from the office, you may need to quote prices to a customer, exchange information with a colleague, communicate with your husband or wife about picking up the kids. Enter the HP Palmtop. Add a special communications device and a wireless service and you can be almost anywhere and stay in touch without the hassles of trying to find a phone to make a modem connection.
We have devoted this issue to wireless technology and the HP Palmtop. In it you'll find background information as well as concrete solutions. As you read, you will discover that each solution has its strengths and limitations, however, you will be better equipped to find a solution that will work for you.
Frankly, for some time the whole field of wireless technology sounded like gobbledy-gook to me. Since wireless technology is pretty much outside our reach in the small rural home of Thaddeus Computing, I haven't put much attention in this area. However, my trip to an HP OmniGo 700LX conference in London opened my eyes (see my User to User column). While I was there I was unable to make a modem connection at my hotel, and I needed to receive some crucial information from the home office. During a break outside the meeting hall, someone loaned me their PCMCIA cellular modem card and cellular phone. With a few keystrokes I was able to get my e-mail!
There are basically five elements to setting up a wireless system: hardware platform (Palmtop), software, communications device, service provider, and wireless network. Service providers attempt to create packages so consumers don't have to sort through all the options. However, a basic understanding of the possibilities is still necessary for you to make the best choice. To that end, read David Shier's wireless overview (page 12) and Frank Nagle's hands-on discussion (page 23) to get a sense of the whole. Then read about the AllPoints/WyndMail and RadioMail combinations, the latest about the HP 700LX communicator, and about Ham Radio and the Palmtop.
Our How to Use section is a fun read. First learn how a trucker and an Archbishop use their Palmtops. Then discover that many of us have grown so fond of our Palmtops that we have given them names, some very creative.
Finally, please take the time to fax back our Reader Survey (page 41). We can best serve you if we know what you like and don't like about our publication. Whether you tell us to leave The HP Palmtop Paper exactly as it is or make radical suggestions for change, your input will help us do a better job meeting your Palmtop needs.
P.S. Hope to see you at the Anaheim HP Handheld conference (page 7). We will be giving away autographed copies of our new book PC in Your Pocket.