In the PC world, portability tends to be pricey.
While most people can get all the desktop PC they'll ever need for $1,500, notebook computers that boast the same technical specifications start at about $2,000.Now a consortium of hardware and software vendors has begun selling a new class of stripped-down, priced-down notebook computers called H/PCs (H is for hand-held) that cost about $900.
Several hardware manufacturers -- including Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Sharp and Vadem -- offer versions of hand-held PCs, which are clearly aimed at business people who travel a lot.
Bundled with the machines are a calendar, contact-management and task-management software, plus Microsoft Pocket Excel for using spreadsheets and Microsoft Pocket PowerPoint for editing presentations. The operating system is Windows CE Handheld PC Professional Edition -- a junior version of Windows.
These "lite" programs don't offer the full set of features found in their desktop counterparts, but they are powerful enough for most uses on the road.
There's no floppy or CD-ROM drive, so you add any applications that don't come preinstalled with a serial cable connection to your PC. (You can also use an infrared connection, a dial-up connection through the Internet, or an Ethernet connection to communicate with local area networks.)
You interact with the notebook by using a stylus (and the keyboard, of course). The stylus is shaped like a pen; you tap or double-tap the screen to give commands, or move it along the glass to drag icons.
There are better choices available if you use your notebook as a desktop PC. But if you're on the road a lot and value light weight and portability, and your tasks are mainly limited to e-mail, contact management, Web browsing and document editing, the new notebooks are worth a look.