The joys of being connected

Nowadays, it seems that everyone is carrying some type of portable electronic device. Business people on trains and planes busy crunching spreadsheets and composing memos on expensive laptop computers, or entering addresses into a PDA; every person (seemingly) under 21 with a pager or a portable CD player; pedestrians and motorists yapping away on cell phones. Without a doubt, the current craze for portable, wireless electronics has kept a lot of design engineers busy, a lot of retailers happy, and a lot of us connected if we so choose. But as I have written in the past about the difficulties of keeping on top of rapidly changing electronic technology, this unprecedented revolution in portable and wireless electronics has me once again revisiting the world of electronic gadget consumerism. The proliferation of portable electronic devices means fast, convenient access to information and entertainment, but is presenting us with a perplexing array of consumer choices. The growing number of portable devices that we can now lug around is mind-boggling. First and foremost for many of us is the laptop computer, which has grown in sophistication to incorporate very usable keyboards, huge hard drives, and large displays that finally do justice to colorful, elaborate PowerPoint presentations. But this sophistication comes at the price of light weight, as these machines often weigh in at a hefty six to eight pounds. I'm not convinced that being able to carry around the entire office is always worth the added weight.

Nowadays, the bulky seven-pound laptop is not the only portable device we tote. I've seen a fair number of business travelers carrying a Palm Pilot or other PDA for keeping a database and appointments.

While the PDA is indeed tempting, it's yet another device to remember to carry around, maintain, and keep track of. In any event, I'm still keeping addresses, appointments, and phone numbers in one of those $20 calculator/organizers–I happen to have a spare one, too–that you can buy in any office supply or discount store. No discussion on portable electronics is complete without talking about the now-ubiquitous cell phone. There's an emerging generation of cell phones that offer Internet browsing–of sorts–and e-mail access. Again, I'm not biting on this one yet–navigating the Internet through a tiny, line-limited screen will not do any wonders for my eyesight. And don't forget for most of these devices you need accessories like power adapters, port replicators, and if you're cautious like me, spare batteries and battery packs. This unceasing proliferation of portable devices is turning some of us into electronic pack rats. It's easy to envision a business traveler lugging an extra 10 pounds of electronic hardware. But instead of simplifying our lives, these portable products have in some cases complicated our routines by imposing a bewildering array of product choices and usage considerations. What I could use is something that combines the functions of a cell phone, laptop, and PDA–along with music and video playback and recording capabilities–into an integrated, easy-to-use, relatively lightweight product. Does anyone out there know of one that doesn't cost a fortune? E-mail me. Spencer Chin, Senior Editor