Episode 1: The PDA-Phone

Pocket PC, Phone edition
$400 plus voice and data plan; t-mobile.com
Barrier to entry: Stylus-only typing; a small keyboard would make Word and e-mail worth using.
The luddite likes: Voice Command for dialing.
Verdict: No, thanks.

Monday, 9 a.m.: My editor drops the T-Mobile Pocket PC on my desk. Tells me to ditch my three-year-old, banged-up cell and sticky-note date book. Says this will change my life. Right.

Monday, 4 p.m.: Annoyed already. Typing on this thing is a slow-motion stylus hunt-and-peck. It has Word, but at this pace, I will not be writing my next novel here.

Tuesday, 2 p.m.: As a rule, I don't converse with gadgets, but I decide to try Voice Command: "Next appointment." It asks me which track I want to hear. Must request English version next time. (Editor's note: He should have said "What's my next appointment?")

Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Decide that portable Internet sounds cooler than it is. Checking e-mail every 10 minutes has officially grown old.

Thursday, 8 p.m.: Complain to friend about lack of MP3 player. Then friend shows me built-in MP3 player. Oops. Also try playing a sample video, but the screen is too small to see much.

Friday, 4 p.m.: Unconverted, I return it to my editor. PDA is useful, but $400 is too much for all these pointless extras.
I'll stick with paper and pen.