FIGURE C


Acoustic couplers are a proven technology for data communications. They were in wide use in the early 1980s by field reporters using the TRS-80 Model 100, the world's first laptop. Roll over picture for a larger image.

As a historical note, the Model 100 is the last computer for which Bill Gates personally coded software. If it worked for Reuters and UPI at that speed, it'll work for you just swimmingly at 9600Kbps.

The BackFlip is powered by its own set of AA batteries, so you don't have to worry about running the power down on your Palm device when using it. Simply install a small set of PRC files on your device; call an 800 number to register your unit's serial number; and, within minutes, the device is ready to use.

Get my email, now!
Retrieving your email on the BackFlip is easy. Simply snap on the BackFlip, run the PocketMail program, and dial 1-800-POCKETM on any phone. The BackFlip's coupler speaker is fitted on an adjustable, sliding mechanism so that the analog connection between the device and headset fits no matter what kind of phone you're using, as you can see in Figure D.

FIGURE D


Here's the BackFlip in action. Roll over picture for a larger image.

When prompted on the phone, hold the device over the phone's handset, select Tap Here for PocketMail on your Palm device's screen, and that's it. The BackFlip will then start screeching modulated tones into the handset. Depending on how many messages you have to send or retrieve, it can take anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes to complete a mail transfer session. Three 500 character messages take about 25 seconds. While the transfer rate is only 9600Kbps, PocketMail uses a special 7-bit encoding sequence instead of standard 8-bit ASCII, so the data throughput is more efficient.

By default, PocketMail gives you your own @pocketmail.com email address. However, as shown in Figure E, you can use your existing email accounts with it by forwarding your email to your PocketMail account using your corporate email system, or by consolidating up to three POP3/IMAP4/AOL accounts in the customer account administrative interface on the PocketMail Web site. We like this a lot.

FIGURE E


You can easily consolidate your existing email accounts on the PocketMail service. Roll over picture for a larger image.

PocketMail's program interface is also easy to use. The composer and reader is intuitive and there's very little to learn. By default, text and HTML attachments are pasted into the body of the received messages -- binary attachments that are sent to you aren't downloaded, but you can retrieve them from your account by using PocketMail's POP3 servers on a regular PC email program, like Microsoft Outlook.

In addition to intelligent handling of large attachments, a built-in Message Title/Message Body preview feature, when enabled, reduces the amount of time spent communicating with the PocketMail Network. When this feature is active, only message Sender and Subject fields are initially received. The user then chooses which messages should be downloaded in their entirety and reconnects to the PocketMail Network to retrieve them. You can see this feature in Figure F. It's useful when time is of the essence and you don't want to waste a long download session on retrieving get-rich-quick and porno spam or the latest stupid joke that was sent to you by your goofy friend.