If you think notebook computers have yet to catch on, spend some time at the airport. Once, it was fun to see if anyone else carried a laptop, but now it's hard to avoid being jostled by someone's overstuffed Targus bag. Laptops have enabled people to free themselves from the desktop, work on the road, and stay connected via email and the Web from nearly any location.

However, even a compact laptop weighs heavily on the shoulders when you're carrying it all day at a trade show or switching planes in a large airport where your gate is always as far away as possible. An increasing number of people in search of a lighter alternative have asked me if it's possible to leave the laptop at home and just carry a Palm organizer.

While I was writing my latest book, Palm Organizers Visual QuickStart Guide, I had the opportunity to try several programs and technologies that make a handheld much more than just an electronic calendar, opening up the possibility of using my Palm device to fulfill all my computing needs.

The verdict? Yes, it's possible to replace your laptop with a Palm device, but depending on your needs, you may have to make too many sacrifices to do it well.

Getting your input
If you're serious about leaving the laptop at home, definitely consider a keyboard for your handheld. After using various Palm organizers over the years, I'm proficient at Graffiti, the Palm OS shorthand for writing characters. However, there's a limit to how much I can write before my hand cramps up, not to mention the drastic decline in accuracy when I try to write quickly. As an alternative, I can recommend two keyboards available for Palm devices.

GoType keyboard
The GoType keyboard from LandWare (at http://www.landware.com/gotype/classic.html) was the first model designed specifically for the Palm unit. The clamshell GoType is light and relatively inexpensive at $69.95, and it slips easily into a carry-on bag. It features Palm OS-specific keys, such as programmable function keys that launch the Palm device's built-in applications. It also has Command-key shortcuts for activating onscreen buttons and responding to dialog boxes. You can take a look at it in Figure A.