To date, the response of many hotels to the needs of computer-toting business guests has been limited to adding a data jack to the side of the phone in each room. But some hotels are wising up, either by offering business centers with computer-equipped workstations or by installing PCs and printers in their rooms. The latter solution is still very much an exception to the rule. But that won't be the situation for long if such fledgling services as PCRoomLink and SuiteLink catch on -- and that's good news for anyone who's prepared to kick the laptop habit.
Both PCRoomLink, from Camanco Communications Inc., and SuiteLink, from GuesTech LLC, aim to turn typical hotel rooms into mini-offices, complete with computers featuring Microsoft Office applications, as well as high-speed links to the Internet. Each company installs the hardware and high-speed phone lines and then gives hotels a cut of its revenue in return for their trouble.
For the time being, each service exists in fewer than a dozen hotels. But that should change soon. Camanco expects its PCRoomLink to be in more than 1,000 hotels by year's end. What's more, GuesTech recently inked a deal with Choice Hotels to put SuiteLink into 50,000 rooms at Clarion, Sleep Inn, and Comfort hotels.
Coordinates: PCRoomLink, www.pcroomlink.com; SuiteLink, www.suitelink.com
We've seen the back-to-the-future of emailing. Dubbed TelMail TM-20, from Sharp, it's a checkbook-size appliance that lets you send and receive email from any phone -- even when a jack isn't nearby. The TelMail TM-20 uses acoustic signaling to transmit messages. You dial an 800 number, wait for a confirmation signal, hold the closed device against the phone's handset, and then just press a button. A minute or so later, you're done. For economical, on-the-go emailing, TelMail answers the call.
Coordinates: $99. Sharp Electronics Corp., www.sharp-usa.com
The whole world in your hands? Motorola's PageWriter 2000X comes close to making that possible. A clamshell-size device that fits in the palm of your hand, the 2000X combines wireless Internet email with a two-way paging system. The 2000X resembles a shrunken laptop, complete with its own tiny keyboard. You can get email and pages on the run, and you can reply to them as well. The device can also manage your contacts, calendar, and to-do list. But such portability comes at a premium. Service from SkyTel costs about $25 per month, and you'll pay a dime for every 10 characters after the first 10,000 that you send. But considering the device's small screen and minuscule keys, you'll want to be brief.
Coordinates: $370 to $395. Motorola Inc., www.motorola.com/smartpagers
As would-be wireless email solutions go, the BlackBerry device, from Research in Motion, is remarkably practical. That's actually high praise in this temperamental field. For one thing, BlackBerry's relatively wide screen and keyboard make reading and writing email tolerable. Better yet, BlackBerry works with your existing email account -- whether you access it via the Internet or directly through a company server -- by using Microsoft Exchange or an ISP email account (there's a version for each mode of messaging). A copy of each message that you receive goes to your inbox as usual, but another copy goes to your BlackBerry device, which notifies you when the message comes in -- so there's no need to dial in to see if you have mail.
Coordinates: $399. Research in Motion Ltd., www.blackberry.net
As a Web-access device, your cellular phone has some compelling advantages: There are no cords or jacks to worry about, and the device fits comfortably in your pocket. Trouble is, the very things that make cell-phones so portable, such as their tiny screens and keypads, also tend to make them tedious to use and ultimately unsuitable for extensive Web browsing. But the next generation of wireless phones may change that.
The R380, from Ericsson, due to be widely available this summer, merges a cell-phone with an organizer. When you flip down the R380's keypad, you'll find a screen that's large enough for Web browsing, albeit in black and white. (Nokia pioneered this two-in-one concept in its slightly heftier 9000 Communicator.) The R380, which was still in prototype at press time, is expected to have an entire suite of communication tools, including email and faxing capabilities, as well as a calendar, an address book, and a memo pad.
And more elaborate phone browsers are on the way. Qualcomm recently showed a prototype phone that features a large, slide-out color screen for vivid surfing. Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and others are working on similarly Web-friendly phones. So far, none of these companies have announced a release date, but look for product updates in the coming months.
Coordinates: Pricing not available. Ericsson Inc., www.ericsson.com
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