Geek chic still stuck in accessory mode

By CHRIS BARTON

I revisited handheld computing last week - revisited because it was early in 2000 when I last entertained the idea of taking this form of computing seriously.

Back then, the colour screen Palm 111c was state of the art. Today the Toshiba Pocket PC e310 - one of the thinnest and lightest handhelds around - is a contender in the Microsoft Pocket PC camp to usurp Palm's throne.

Two years on and handheld computing has improved. But not enough, making my verdict the same as it was with the Palm - too fiddly and not useful enough to bother with.

Yes I know today's ultra portable devices, slim enough to slip into your shirt pocket, are the ultimate in geek chic. But I suspect that's half the problem. Designed by geeks for geeks, handhelds are a Bill Gates type of neat idea the rest of us don't really want.

In theory, I should be the ideal handheld customer. I'm reasonably computer literate, take work home, plus I'm a public transport commuter so I have time to sit and twiddle with the things. But try as I might, handheld computing just doesn't work for me.

Don't get me wrong. I've nothing against the Toshiba e310 or any of its ilk. I appreciate its thinness, lightness and how much it packs into such a small package - a 206MHz Intel StrongArm processor, internal microphone and speaker as well as a stereo-output mini-plug port.

I could have criticised its 32MB of internal memory compared with the 64MB found on many other Pocket PCs. But I didn't find it a problem. Nor did I find fault with its Secure Digital expansion slot which some dislike - preferring a CompactFlash slot which has peripheral plug-ins.

I also rather enjoyed being able to read the latest news from my favourite websites on the ferry to and from work. Microsoft's Active Sync and the unit's universal serial bus (USB) docking cradle make synchronising with your PC a breeze. With a little fiddling I signed up to AvantGo for free news downloaded automatically. Great for keeping up with my reading - and a very convenient way to carry what would have been a truckload of paper.

Convenience that would almost justify having one. But there's no way I'd pay between $1000 and $1700 for reading web pages while commuting. For such money - about half the price of a PC - you'd want a lot more. Which is what the Toshiba and other Pocket PCs claim to offer.

Not only do you get Pocket Word, Excel and Outlook, but also a mp3 music file player, a digital voice recorder, a diary, a contact book and e-book reader. Fantastic - I can read my email, compose my next story, check my diary, listen to music and read a novel from this tiny multifaceted device. So what's my problem?

In a word - input. Trying to reply to email or write more than a few words with Pocket PC's handwriting recognition software is just too hard. I'm sure if I stuck at it I could make Microsoft Transcriber work better - but after a week, the best I could get for: "Yes, that's fine, Regards Chris" was "Jes, Xi ... s )re, Rese Css". Computers really do speak another language.

I just can't be bothered with this sort of input. Ditto for the tiny onscreen keyboard where one has to hunt 'n' prod with a stylus. I was however slightly taken with the idea of scrawling my terrible handwriting on screen. It's a quick and efficient form of input that we'll be seeing more of when Microsoft releases the Tablet PC. It would have been great to use for firing off email replies or adding to my electronic diary - but that option wasn't available in those applications.

I still prefer a paper diary - possibly because I don't want to lose the tactile pleasure of paper and pen and the infinite possibilities of an analogue interface. I have the same aversion to digital watches.

But while I remain unconvinced about handheld computing in its present form - there are signs it is becoming viable. New generation phones that combine handheld computer applications make some sense. With such a device, entering all my contact details is logical because of the convenience of being able to phone at the touch of a button. But electronic storage has a downside - especially when your memory card gets fried and you lose the lot.

Similarly, handhelds that break the tether with the PC with their own modems for net access and fold up keyboards for input are a good development for computing anywhere, anytime. But this much-hyped convergence seems to be taking a long time in getting here, let alone becoming affordable.

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