Take this hypothetical scenario. You are on your way from your hotel to a business
meeting, when suddenly you hear an alert from your wireless phone. You reach into your
pocket, hit a few keys, and retrieve an e-mail that happens to be critical to the success
of your meeting.
The e-mail informs you that you are missing one vital piece of information. You logon
to the Internet using the wireless phone and retrieve the information, which you work into
your presentation. At the meeting, your improved presentation rocks. Youre a star.
Farfetched? Not at all. You can play out this scenario today with PocketNet, a wireless
phone that puts the Internet in the palm of your hand. PocketNet is equipped with
specialized browser software that interacts with server software in the AT&T network
to retrieve text-based information from the Internet and from private intranets.
With PocketNet, you can also access your personal calendar and address book from your
personal (and secure) Web site. In addition, you can access information on Web sites that
have been tuned to format and display information on the phones screen. Several
popular Web sites have formatted their content to fit on the display screen of a PocketNet
cellular phone. These include such big names as Bloomberg, InfoSpace, ESPN Sportszone,
Mapquest, and others. You can perform reverse phone number lookups to find
addresses, lookup phone numbers by name, access weather reports, get directions, find out
the latest world or financial news, and get the latest sports scores.
SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications for a PocketNetenabled phone:
- Weight: 9.2 ounces.
- Dimensions: 6.06 L C 2.28 W C .85
H. Minimum requirements for managing information from your private Web site:
- Windows 95 or Windows NT.
- Netscape Navigator 3.01, Navigator Gold 3.01, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.01/3.02
(soon 4.0).
- Internet access.
- 16 MB RAM; 640 C 480 video display; 14.4 Kbps mode.
PROS AND CONS
Pros
- Simple, inexpensive alternative to using laptops and remote access servers.
- Universal access to your email, no matter where you are.
- Access to Internet information (such as directions, stock quotes, or phone listings), no
matter where you are.
- Allows travelers to be in constant contact with the office. (PocketNet is a messaging
pager through email, plus a regular phone, all in one.)
Cons
- No text-to-speech capabilities. (There are products that can read e-mail to you over the
phone, and that let you respond by speaking. See our review of Octels Unified
Messenger in the January 1998 issue.)
- Unable to read attachments, such as Word attachments. You can, however, read text
attachments.
- Requires that you forward and unforward the contents of your existing e-mail
account to the PocketNet e-mail account.
INSTALLATION
Installing a PocketNetcompatible cellular phone was very easy. In fact, when we received
our Samsung Duette phone, we found that AT&T had already set most of the configuration
options. For instance, AT&T had already programmed our own personal PocketNet e-mail
address into the phone. Also, AT&T had already set up a private Web site URL, phone
number, username, and password (which we could use to access our private Web URL).
In normal circumstances, you would purchase a PocketNet-compatible cellular phone in a
retail store, and then you would call AT&Ts PocketNet division to set up your
account. Even though AT&T had saved us this effort, we reviewed the procedures for
entering the configuration settings. We found them to be very simple, so simple, in fact,
that a PocketNet service representative would have no trouble helping you configure your
personal account information over the phone.
One other setup item concerns an email option. Basically, you can elect to have e-mail
automatically forwarded from your current Internet e-mail address to your PocketNet e-mail
address, which looks like [email protected]. If you are using some mail
server programs, you can also forward internal/corporate e-mail. This would let you
retrieve all your e-mail while you are on the road. Now, if you dont have desktop
e-mail, then PocketNet service gives you an e-mail box that doesnt even require a
computer.
DOCUMENTATION
The AT&T PocketNet manual contained step-by-step information on how to read
attachments, send an email, create quick-replies, add contacts to your address book, and
other details. Overall, the documentation was easy to read, and featured a good table of
contents for looking up a particular feature. The AT&T documentation could have
included more screenshots, however. By screenshots, we mean pictures of the LCD display.
Ideally, these screenshots would have included arrows and labels describing the different
features.
One of our other manuals did have such LCD screenshots the manual for the
Samsung Duette PocketNetenabled phone, which, thanks to its excellent screenshots, helped
us quickly learn the different features and capabilities. That said, it almost pains us to
point out that the Samsung manual didnt specify how to perform a backspace. We tried
hitting the Back key, but that ended up returning us to the previous menu screen. Next, we
tried the left arrow key, but that didnt work either, which seemed a bit strange.
Finally, we tried the CLR button, which we thought would clear, or erase, the entire text
we typed. We were wrong: The CLR button did perform the backspace function we were looking
for. This function should have been described in the documentation. Incidentally, we
noticed that all the arrow keys, except for the left arrow key, made a beeping sound. We
suspected the left arrow was malfunctioning, so we called AT&T, and they confirmed our
suspicions. (The technical support was fantastic.) They sent us another phone the very
next day, and we were able to traverse the cursor back over letters without having to
erase them.
FEATURES
- Display: PocketNet displays up to five rows of text, with a maximum of 24
characters per row. Also, the phone offers bookmarking features similar to those of a PC
browser.
- Scheduling: With PocketNet, you can schedule appointments from a Web browser
(or the cellular phone); then, you can use the PocketNetenabled cellular phone to review
these appointments when you are on the road. In addition, PocketNet synchronizes with
popular PCbased organizers. With additional software namely, Puma Technologys
IntelliSync for AT&T PocketNet Service the PocketNet phone can work with such
programs as Microsoft Schedule+ 7.0/7.0a, Microsoft Outlook, Symantec ACT! 3.0.6, and
Lotus Organizer 97.
- E-Mail: The PocketNet phone is capable of two-way messaging using an e-mail
paradigm. E-mails can be sent or forwarded to the phone, and the user can reply to these
e-mails or originate a message to any Internet address.
- Accessing The Web: Since the wireless IP (CDPD) network is interconnected to an
Internet service providers backbone network, and since PocketNet is a wireless phone
solution with a specialized, builtin browser, PocketNet users can access popular
information sources on the Internet, including news, weather, travel, entertainment, and
finance.
- Accessing Your Calendar: PocketNet lets you access your calendar via a Web
browser or the phone itself. (You can access your private Web site, which contains your
personal calendar with appointments.)
- Dialing: With PocketNets speed dial capability (dial by name), you can
use the GUI to add entries to your Call List. For storing more detailed data, such as
address, company, home number, etc., you can add information to the Address Book. You can
dial anyone in your address book by selecting the name and hitting OK. PocketNet service
also gives you access to white pages and yellow pages nationwide. You can call any number
in these directory listings just by entering a persons name.
- Other: PocketNet displays call duration; includes 40-location alphanumeric
memory storage; provides last number redial (up to nine numbers); combines analog (voice)
and digital (CDPD) technologies; and includes fraud prevention (see the secure logon
screen in Figure 6).
OPERATIONAL TESTING
Startup
When the PocketNet phone is turned on, it automatically registers and connects to
the AT&T wireless data network. Once it is at its home card, PocketNet
allows the user to navigate.
Response Times
Response times start at 1.5 seconds and increase based on network and Web server
activity. According to AT&T, the PocketNet phone, in wireless IP mode, offers a raw
throughput of 19.2 Kbps and an effective throughput of 14.4 Kbps. The applications sending
information to and from the phone dont come close to pushing this bandwidth
envelope. Typically, messages sent to and from the phone consist of about 100 bytes of
data, so response times are extremely fast. What is important is network latency. Since
the wireless IP network provides sub-second latency, users will enjoy excellent
performance when accessing Web server-based information.
Information Sites
We tried several of the information sites provided by the PocketNet service. We
were able to review stock quotes, sports scores, and the latest financial news very easily
from the display screen. Simply by using the arrow keys and a couple of buttons, we were
able to scroll through lots of information. We also tested PocketNets nationwide
white (and yellow) pages. To look up a persons phone number, we entered the
persons name, which was simply a matter of pressing the DTMF keys. For instance, for
the letter C, we had to press the DTMF digit 2 three times.
(Clearly, three presses is the maximum for any letter.)
At first, we took a long time to enter long strings of alphanumeric characters;
however, after a while, we were typing at a respectable speed. After keying in the
persons name, we hit a button, and less than a second later we had the persons
full name, address, and phone number on the display screen! Then we could click on the
Call button to have the phone automatically dial the number. This is a great feature if
you need to dial someone when you are on the road.
You can also look up corporations that have 800 numbers, as well as companies that are
listed in the yellow pages. Other neat services include a restaurant directory, which
lists over 247,000 restaurants, and which includes brief descriptions, directions, and
even abbreviated menus. This service is perfect for road trips when you decide to invite a
client to dinner!
Forwarding E-Mail To A Fax Machine
We were impressed with PocketNets ability to forward e-mail to a fax
machine. Each fax automatically includes a cover sheet with your name, date, subject,
user-entered comments, as well as the total number of pages. AT&T provides each
PocketNet customer with five free faxes per month. Additional faxes cost 20 cents per
page. Messages From The PocketNet Site This is a really cool feature. If someone wants to
send you a message, he or she can visit AT&Ts PocketNet site, enter a message,
and include a callback number from his or her Web browser. The person can also enter up to
six EZReply entries (such as 1. Can make it by 6:00pm, 2. Lets
make it for 8:00 instead, 3. Ill have to take a rain check,
). After you receive the message on your cellular phone, you need only press a
single key to quickly and automatically send a canned email response back to
the person who sent the message.
Personal Calendar
PocketNet lets you enter appointments and schedule items into your personal
calendar. You can do so from the PocketNet phone itself, or from the user-friendly Java
applet running on your Web browser (Figure 8). Your calendar also integrates and
synchronizes with many popular PIMs and scheduler applications, including Microsoft
Outlook, Schedule+, Lotus Organizer, GoldMine, NetManage ECCO, Day-Time Organizer, and
ACT!. This is perfect if you are on the road and you need to access callback reminders or
meeting information entered into your desktop scheduling program.
Once you find your contacts, youll be able to dial them quickly, since they will
be part of the PocketNet contact database. This functionality, which is a separate add-on
to the PocketNet service, is sold by Puma Technology for $69.95. Pumas software,
called IntelliSync, is certainly worth the price.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Support For A Broader Range Of Attachments
Although PocketNet can read text attachments, it cannot read attachments from
Word, PowerPoint, Excel, WordPerfect, or other popular applications. The only alternative
is to forward the e-mail to your regular email account on your PC and read the attachment
from your PC. We would like to be able to read attachments from common applications, such
as Word or Excel, from the cellular phone, perhaps via some sort of converter on
AT&Ts wireless network server.
Such a conversion capability would let users view the contents of an attachment as
simple text. A converter would also allow the user to forward an email with a Word
attachment to a fax machine, and the attachments contents would be readable on the
fax.
Ability To View Text From Any Web Site
With the PocketNet phone, you cannot view most Web sites. You can only browse
those Web sites which alter their content to fit on the PocketNet display screen.
Otherwise, you will receive an error message stating, Invalid content type.
Wed like to see some sort of converter engine that would parse out Web graphics,
Java apps, etc. and just transmit the Web sites text. This would allow you to view
any Web site. One usability issue involves being unable to copy/paste into the Java
application (your calendar/scheduler) on your personal Web site.
Larger Keypad/Faster Typing
Although we like the compactness of the current PocketNet models, we would like
another, larger model with a flip open alphanumeric keyboard for faster
typing. This would give the customer a choice between compactness and quicker data entry.
Voice Attachments To EMail
What if PocketNet let you skip keyboard entry of message content? Imagine: you
could enter an email address, then talk into the cellular PocketNet phone. The voice would
then be temporarily recorded on AT&Ts server and encoded into a WAV file. Then,
the WAV file would be sent to the entered e-mail address. At the receiving end, the
message could be played back on a multimedia PC. This addition would make it a lot easier
to send long messages. Entering message content on the phone is tedious since you have to
generate text by manipulating DTMF keys.
Support For Users Existing E-Mail Account
When youre on the road, you have to forward messages from your existing
e-mail account to your PocketNet email account. When you return to the office, you have to
reverse the process. Personally, wed like to be able to use our existing e-mail
account at all times. Some companies using wireless allow you to do this. For example, DTS
Wireless lets you use your existing email account with a product called ZAP-IT Wireless
Inbox. However, unlike PocketNet, this product works from a laptop, not a cellular phone.
There is a third-party add-on, which we just recently learned about from Infinite
Technologies, which will allow you to access your corporate network email while on the
road from a PocketNet phone. Infinite InterCharge installs on your company network. An
Internet or private connection to AT&T PocketNet service is required to communicate
wirelessly with the InterCharge server using your AT&T PocketNet phone. The software
starts at $299 for five users.
Browser Support
Wed like PocketNet to support Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. (In fact,
support for this browser should be available by the time you read this article.)
CONCLUSION
If youre often on the go, and you need to stay connected to people and information
at your office or home, you will love PocketNet. With PocketNet, you will not only be
reachable by voice, but also by e-mail, or by a page entered at AT&Ts Web site.
And even though PocketNet gives you e-mail and Web connectivity, you wont need a
laptop, just your PocketNetenabled wireless phone.
There are many advantages to doing without a laptop. Who enjoys lugging a laptop
everywhere they go? Or turning the thing on for the benefit of airport security? Or
checking into a hotel only to find you cant get a data connection for your analog
modem? (Note: Hooking up your laptops analog modem to a hotels digital PBX can
fry your modem.) For all these reasons, road warriors may well prefer to use PocketNet,
and thereby gain 100% universal access to their e-mail, without resorting to a laptop.
Employers will like PocketNet, too. After all, not every company can afford to buy
every traveling employee a dedicated laptop. Also, some companies may balk at installing
remote access servers and dedicated phone lines to provide traveling employees email
access. In addition, companies might like to avoid the administration and security hassles
associated with a remote access server.
As matters now stand, the PocketNet phone is an extremely usable and fea-turerich
product, notwithstanding all our Room For Improvement items. Its all very well for
us to dream up extra bells and whistles, but its PocketNet that has provided the
foundation for these flights of fancy. Indeed, PocketNet is one of those products that is
so good it inspires lots of ideas to extend its capabilities.
Its very easy for us to imagine ourselves using PocketNet, and everyone else,
too. TMC Labs highly recommends that any road warrior give AT&Ts PocketNet
service a try. |