One of the 700wx's neatest tricks is that you can use it as a modem to connect your laptop to the Internet from anywhere. Sprint's EV-DO network doesn't deliver the performance of desktop broadband service, but it's adequate for e-mail and browsing the Web. The ability to make a USB connection from the Treo to the laptop rather than using Bluetooth helps performance some.

Web browsing on the Treo, of course, is no better than it is on any other handheld device, but it's no worse, either. Applications designed for the small screen are OK -- and again, one advantage of the Windows Mobile OS is that it has all of .Net behind it, and companies that want to build or migrate apps to mobile devices will like that. (If you're more of a one-man army than a corporate soldier, you'll find that the larger number of applications available for Palm OS may make that device more attractive.)

With all of these features, the Treo 700wx is not something you just pick up and start using. You'll be digging into the manual before you make your first phone call, and setting up all the features takes a significant investment of time. But given the significant use you're likely to make of it, it's an investment that's well worth it.

David DeJean has been using and writing about mobile phones since they came with handles.