I hate handbags, but I always used to carry one. Why? Because I don't wear suit jackets with breast pockets for my PDA, I don't wear baggy trousers with pockets big enough for my mobile phone — and I refuse to clip pagers or phones to the waistband of my clothes. But my favorite new toy and tool, the Samsung SCH-8500, eliminates that problem. It's a PDA, mobile phone, and wireless Web browser, all in one. Its display is big enough to check stock quotes and email messages on Yahoo! comfortably. My dual-band phone also has a calendar, calculator, and to-do list, plus an address book with room for up to six phone numbers under each name entry. And much to my delight, the phone's sleek, space-age design elicits an "Ooh ... now, that's a cool phone!" from Silicon Valley compatriots whenever I use it. But best of all? When fitted with a slim battery, the SCH-8500 is skinny enough to carry in the front pocket of even my tightest jeans — no jacket pockets or baggy trousers required. The Samsung SCH-8500 retails for $199.99, the slim battery for $59.99. Visit Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. on the Web (www.samsungtelecom.com).
A version of this article appeared in the April 2001 issue of Fast Company magazine.
