Goin' Mobile

Do you find that your e-mails are piling up when you are out of the office and you’re spending hours and hours playing catch-up when you return? It may be time for you to go remote.

There are many ways you can check e-mail remotely, from a hand-held e-mail device like a BlackBerry or Treo to the computer at a nearby Kinko’s or at a client’s office. The right solution for you will depend on how much time you spend out of the office, how urgent  your e-mails are and the amount of money you want to spend. Will your productivity increase sufficiently to invest in a mobile e-mail solution? Spending $500 in hardware and $50 to $100 per month in services is a waste if you check your e-mail only twice a day, but may be well worth it if you need to review it almost constantly.

If the level of remote e-mail access that you require is low (e.g., you’re out of the office occasionally, most e-mails are not urgent), all you really want is an e-mail account that is accessible via a Web browser. Using one of the free e-mail services from Hotmail, Yahoo! or others, you can check your e-mail via any computer that is connected to the Internet. Your ISP most likely provides access to your e-mail via the Web. Earthlink customers, for example, can go to www.springmail.com. Just remember that if you have already downloaded the e-mail from your e-mail provider to your office PC, you may not be able to access it anywhere else (exceptions apply; see below).

If you need more than occasional access to your e-mail, you will need a device to use on the go. When looking for the right hardware for e-mail access it is important to consider your needs. You might want a device mainly for speaking on the phone, but that can also do e-mail. Or you might want a device that handles e-mail very well but happens to also operate as a phone. The functional differences are important.

STAYING CONNECTED

Personal Digital Assistants with E-mail

PDAs wirelessly enabled via Bluetooth and/or WiFi, such as the Palm Tungsten C (WiFi only) or HP iPaq Pocket PC h4350, have e-mail accessibility but no built-in cell phone. (Bluetooth is a wireless technology that enables short-range data transmission; WiFi is a wireless technology with a longer range of about 300 feet). PDAs with Bluetooth connectivity can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and access e-mail or the Web via cell phone dial-up to an Internet service provider or your telecommunication provider’s data network. PDAs with WiFi can access their company’s wireless network or one of the thousands of public WiFi networks for e-mail and Web access. Remember that you must stay within the range of a WiFi connection to check and reply to your e-mails. If you need mobility throughout a city, regardless of whether WiFi is available, then subscribing to the cellular data services of a wireless carrier (e.g., Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) is best. Also keep in mind that WiFi is not nearly as wide-ranging as a cellular-based wireless e-mail device.

All-in-One Packages

Palm’s Treo, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Danger’s Sidekick have evolved from simple two-way pagers to some of the best devices for e-mail access. These devices connect via the cellular network of your telecommunications provider, contain built-in keyboards and are made from the ground up for e-mail and Web access. Most of these devices blend, to various degrees, cell phone and PDA functionality. If, for example, you are on the subway and have already downloaded your e-mails before getting on the train, you can read and respond to them, although they won’t get sent until you are back above ground.

To Keyboard or Not to Keyboard

Some devices, such as the Palm Treo 650 and the BlackBerry, have built-in keyboards, while others, like the Samsung i700 Pocket PC or Audiovox SMT 5600, do not have full alphanumeric keyboards but rely on “soft” keyboards that display an image of a keyboard on a screen or use the traditional phone keyboard wherein one must press the “2” button three times to display the letter “C”. If you are going to be sending e-mail messages frequently, a built-in keypad would be more appropriate.

Your Laptop

Although notebook computers can’t fit in your pocket, they are ideal e-mail tools. Many notebooks come with built-in (or can be outfitted with) WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity and can also connect to wireless networks for e-mail or Web access. You can also purchase wireless network cards from your telecommunications provider, which enable your notebook computer to access the provider’s high-speed cellular network. If you are normally toting your notebook around and do not need instant access to e-mail, you can use your notebook to get e-mail on the road.