Anytime, Anywhere -- OmniSky

The Breathless Wireless... Recent coverage of wireless devices in the Dispatch led to this e-mail from Jerry Porter at CRESA Partners in Los Angeles, who raves about his OmniSky modem. Note: For a more subdued perspective, check out Walter Mossberg's column in the Wall Street Journal on July 6, 2000 (p. B1).

Here's Porter: "I prefer the OmniSky wireless modem for the Palm Vx, from which I recently sent you e-mail. It allows me to maintain my Palm V for my calendar, contacts, to do's and memos, while sending and retrieving e-mail anywhere/anytime. Web browsing is effortless on the larger screen of the Palm and the collapsible accessory keyboard provides for hours of full touch typing while sitting on a plane answering email (sent and retrieved once you hit the terminal, of course). I have used both and personally like the graffiti handwriting recognition over thumb typing when not docked in the keyboard (which folds to the size of the Palm itself).

"For Palm users, it affords the additional benefits of sending and receiving Palm appointments, addresses, to do's and memos as downloadable attachments to fellow Palm people. I have had perfect performance from the OmniSky modem ($299) and flat rate monthly service of $39.95 for unlimited use. The wireless modem will poll your mail server as frequently as 15-minute intervals and will notify you of new mail via a light on the modem."

--Peter