Palm devices
First, let's talk about the device requirements. I'm not sure if the Mobile Internet Kit will work on Handspring models--deadline pressures didn't leave me enough time for experimentation with my Visor Deluxe. If it works with a Palm m100, which uses Palm OS 3.5 in ROM, it's possible that the Mobile Internet Kit can be made to work with Handspring's Visor Platinum or Visor Prism. I used my Palm V with a Palm OS 3.5 upgrade.

Phones
Quite a few cell phones are on the "approved list." Most of these are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) phones, which is the de facto standard in Europe and Asia. A few US carriers, such as VoiceStream and Cingular, offer GSM service in the US, although it's on a different frequency than elsewhere. Most of the rest of the phones are CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) phones, such as the Samsung SCH-3500, which Sprint PCS sells. Some of the phones require a cable and/or TDK's GlobalPulse software. You can find more information about phones that have been tested and are supported at http://palm.com/software/mik/phone.html.

I have a Samsung SCH-3500 phone, pictured in Figure A, with Sprint PCS service.

FIGURE A

My Samsung SCH-3500 phone uses Sprint PCS service.

Using this phone with the Mobile Internet Kit requires purchasing a $99 cable from Sprint. In the long run, it was less expensive for me to go out and buy a $169 Nokia 8290 GSM phone with built-in IR modem from VoiceStream, which gives me more than double the minutes for the same price I was paying with Sprint. Besides, the Nokia 8290 is much smaller than the SCH-3500. It's a little taller than a credit card, and weighs less than three ounces.

FIGURE B

The Nokia 8290 proved to be more economical. Click picture for a larger image.

So, what do you get?
The Mobile Internet Kit gives you the ability to connect to your cell phone and use Web clipping applications, also known as PQAs (Palm Query Applications) or a WAP (Wireless Access Protocol) Web browser. You can also send SMS (Short Message Service) messages to others with GSM service, and dial up your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to send and receive email.

My colleagues at PalmPower have covered a number of different PQAs in other articles, so I won't go into great detail here. You'll find a list of appropriate PalmPower links at the end of this article, and an extensive list of PQAs is available at http://wireless.palm.net/apps. Quite a few PQAs are included with the Mobile Internet Kit, such as ABC News, the Weather Channel, CBS MarketWatch, and ESPN, plus travel-related applications like MapQuest, Etak Traffic Touch, Travelocity, and Continental, Delta, and United Airlines. You can shop, trade stocks, and also send faxes. I'll go into more detail on these included PQAs later.