A lawnmower that doubles as a sandwich toaster? Pass. A hat stand that also works as a pocket calculator? No thanks. A handheld computer that can also make phone calls? Now you're talking.

When you first look at the Mondo, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's yet another Palm clone. It's a good-looking, slimline device, all in brushed metal with a large monochrome touchscreen and stylus combination.

Poking out of its top-right corner is an aerial. Indeed, the Mondo is a Windows Pocket PC that also functions as a mobile phone and therefore represents something that gadget freaks and business users have been after for some time. It means you can truly enjoy wire-free internet surfing and email from your handheld computer wherever you are - albeit at slow speeds of 14.4Kbps.

As yet, it's unclear as to whether the Mondo will be available as a subsidised package deal, which could bring its £400 price down even further.

There's only 16Mb of memory, which is a bit stingy, particularly in the absence of any slots for adding further memory modules.

As you'd expect from a PDA, there's a docking station that allows you to synchronise your data with a desktop PC. An infrared link, a lithium-ion battery, vibrating alert and leather slipcase make up the rest of the device's best features.

Sadly, the phone part of the Mondo is relegated to second-fiddle status. You have to launch a special application that emulates the keypad of a mobile handset on the Mondo's touchscreen, which is fairly straightforward but means there's added hassle every time you want to make a call.

It's also a bit cumbersome. We already laugh at the gargantuan size of mobile phones in TV shows that are no more than a few years old, and the Mondo is reminiscent of this since it's a fair bit wider than your average modern handset.

Contact
Trium: 01707 276100 www.trium.net

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