It’s official:24-hour connectedness is now not only possible, but probable. Adam Tinworth tries out a few of the gadgets that will keep you up to date at work – and even keep your work up to date
Computers are indispensable to the modern property industry. This can be a complete pain in the shoulder: laptops are often heavy and inconvenient, yet they are essential for the travelling professional. Or are they? Several manufacturers have new machines that could replace the laptop, easily slipping into your pocket or briefcase. Wireless technologies, integration with mobile phones and greater battery life are making it feasible to be connected to the office while visiting a site, with full access to your work network, and your CD collection, too. Here’s a selection of new products for your Christmas list – if you have generous relatives, or next year’s budget, or if your company is forward-looking enough. After all, they’re all strictly for work purposes. Honest.
Tablet PC
Computers often don’t reflect the way we work, particularly in meetings and on the road. That is Microsoft’s thinking, at least. To solve this problem it has produced a new Tablet PC version of Windows, for use on a new type of computer. You can use a Tablet PC like a laptop, or write directly on the screen using a special stylus, and let the software turn your scribbles into editable text.
www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsxp/tabletpc/
Price: £1,500 and upwards
HPiPAQ
Once Palm and Psion ruled the handheld computer market. Now Psion has given up, and Palm is being challenged by Microsoft’s PocketPC operating system. One of the most popular handhelds to use PocketPC is the iPAQ, from Hewlett Packard. It is more powerful and versatile than the Palm handhelds, but it is also more expensive and eats up more power.
www.hp.co.uk
Price: £429
Apple iPod
Though Apple Macs only make up about 5% of the world’s computers, the firm is the leader in industrial and user interface design. The iPod, the company’s MP3 player, is a great example of this, being both more versatile and easier to use than the competition. It’s available for Windows PCs too, and is sold in 5, 10 and 20 Gb versions, holding 1,000, 2,000 or 4,000 songs respectively.
www.apple.com/uk
Price: £260 to £400
Palm Tungsten T
The latest offering from Palm rivals the new breed of PocketPC machines. A neat “open up” design keeps the machine small enough to easily slip into a suit pocket, and the high-resolution colour screen is a huge jump from the Palms of old. Its software allows you to take Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents with you. The built-in Bluetooth connects it to a mobile phone wirelessly and allows the user to read e-mail and browse the web.
www.palm.com/uk
Price: around £380
Handspring Treo 270
Handspring is busy trying to merge the mobile phone and the PDA into one device. The result is the Treo. It’s wider and shorter than most mobile phones. The Treo is designed to be used with a hands-free kit and the palmtop system is an older version of the Palm operating system found in the Tungsten T above.
www.handspring.co.uk
Price: £499 without connection, cheaper with O2 connection
Blackberry
The Blackberry has a well deserved reputation as “e-mail crack”. Estates Gazette’s editor has spotted more technically fanatic members of the industry typing away in the middle of formal dinners. The Blackbery is simply an e-mail receiving device that is constantly and wirelessly connected to the internet. Whenever you get a new e-mail, the device lets you know and you can quickly type a response on the built-in keyboard.
www.o2.co.uk/business/corporate/blackberry/
Price: starts at around £400 per device, plus line rental, with bulk discounts for company usage
