Contact ...a Wireless H/PC!

All Handheld PCs come with built-in, or add-on modem capability. This is supposed to make it easy to keep up with e-mail and other online activity. But you still have to stop, find a telephone, pull out a cable, connect the H/PC to the phone, log on to your ISP or network, and download your e-mail - not really "information on the go." Mobile users want to be able to reach in their pocket, check their e-mail, tap out a quick response, send it and forget about it. And they want to do this wherever they are, without stopping to find a phone.

Wireless communication is the obvious solution, but until recently it has involved a confusing combination of wireless transmitter/receivers, software, and wireless services. This review looks at the Contact H/PC from Novatel Wireless, the first H/PC with a complete wireless solution built-in and ready to go. The Contact (priced at $995.95) is a modified LG Phenom. Added to this standard Windows CE 2.0 H/PC are all the hardware and software needed to connect wirelessly to a CDPD (cellar digital packet data) network. CDPD service is available for most of the United States and Contact ships with the Wireless Subscription Wizard to make finding and subscribing to such a service easy. This review focuses on using the wireless CDPD modem and services, but a brief description of the basic Windows CE hardware and software features follows.

The Novatel Wireless Contact H/PC

As mentioned, Contact's hardware is based on the LG Electronics Phenom H/PC (the regular Phenom, not the Phenom Ultra or Phenom Express mentioned in this issue). Contact is 1/2 inch wider than the Phenom to accommodate the built-in modem, and at 22 ounces weighs 5 ounces more than the Phenom. Contact comes with 16 MB or ROM and 8 MB or RAM (expandable to 32 MB). It has a 640 x 240 pixel backlit touch screen. The screen is monochrome as opposed to color, to conserve battery power. Contact is powered by a 780 mAh Lithium Ion Battery and comes with an AC Adapter for powering the unit and charging the battery.

The built-in Wireless IP Modem is CDPD Version 1.1 compliant with a 19.2 Kbps data rate and 0.6 watts transmit power. Contact also comes with a built-in wireline Fax/Modem (and RJ-11 modem jack). It operates at 14.4 Kbps for data, and a 9.6 Kbps for fax. The Contact has one Type II PC Card slot, a combination serial/VGA port (VGA cable is available as an option), an IrDA infrared port, built-in speaker and microphone.

Contact is a Windows CE 2.0 H/PC with all the standard built-in applications, including Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket PowerPoint, Voice Recorder, and various utilities. In addition to these Windows CE standard applications, Contact comes with Wireless Modem Manager , Wireless Subscription Wizard, and Wireless Modem Status. The package also includes two general communications utilities: bFax and bView (from bSquare Technologies, Web: www.bsquare.com).

Getting started with CDPD

Contact comes with the necessary CDPD software already loaded. All you need to do is contact a CDPD provider, set up and activate an account, and you're ready to go. The built-in Wireless Subscription Wizard helps you do this. CDPD service is generally available in areas where analog cellular service (AMPS) is available. ATT Wireless and Bell Atlantic offer CDPD service in the United States. For coverage maps and additional information, visit the CDPD Web site at www.cdpd.org. (Note that most major cities in the United States have CDPD service, but Los Angeles and Atlanta do not.) Besides selecting the carrier you should also select a mail/Internet service. Go America offers a bundle providing access service and unlimited e-mail for $59.95/month. For more information, call 888-462-4600 ext 1 or visit their Web site at: www.goamerica.net. Once you contact the vendor of your choice, it can take from 4 to 72 hours to enable your service. During that time you can configure the Contact to connect using the built-in Wireless Subscription Wizard. This utility configures your connection for you.