When it comes to the UI, you have an easy-to-use combination of buttons and an icon-based, on-screen UI to navigate between modes and applications. The A388 also gives you a touch-screen keyboard you can use with or without the included stylus.

You also have the option of using the QuickPrint handwriting recognition program. QuickPrint is reminiscent of Palm Grafitti, but somewhat easier to use. When in doubt, it offers you a list of "Did you mean?" options to choose from. I've heard some complaints about QuickPrint's speed, but I didn't experience any of these problems.

This device gives you basic PDA applications: calendar, to-do list, address book, and a notepad application, among others. These applications won't be enough to keep your average power user happy. However, you can add third-party J2ME applications.

The Motorola A388 covers all three bands of the GSM network, so it's good choice for travelers using plans that allow international roaming.

The Motorola A388 ships with Starfish TrueSync and a serial data cable to let you sync with Microsoft Outlook and Starfish's PIM, called TrueSync Desktop. Because the device I evaluated didn't ship with a data cable, I wasn't able to test the data sync capabilities.

Motorola chose not to ship with a USB cable, instead choosing a serial cable, which is getting hard to find on new notebooks. However, you can buy a converter for USB.

The device can operate in phone mode, or PDA mode, but not both. That means no paging through notes while making a call. The device doesn't offer a speakerphone, so this wouldn't be an option anyway.

All in all, the Motorola A388 is a solid piece of equipment, and a good choice for international travelers, or those of you who just want basic PDA functionality and to reduce the number of devices you carry around.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

The Motorola A388 is a serviceable option for business users who only want to carry one device. + Touch screen is easy to use + Handwriting recognition is more intuitive than Palm Graffiti + Easy-to-use UI + Tri-band GSM for international travel - You can't run in PDA and phone modes simultaneously.

Motorola Inc. http://www.motorola.com/ Motorola A388 US$300

Dimensions: 3.86" height, 2.28" width, 0.9" depth Weight: 4.59oz Screen size: 1.9" height,1.4" width Resolution: 240x320 Display: Grayscale Backlit screen: Yes Battery Life: 4.5 hours Talk; 145 hours Stand-by; 29 hours PDA Battery type: Lithium-Ion OS: Proprietary Motorola OS; J2ME for third-party Java applications Processor: Dragonball VZ RAM: 8MB Expansion Slots: No Ports: Serial, stereo headphone jack Input device: Touch-screen QWERTY keyboard, handwriting recognition Voice Recorder: Yes Internet: E-mail, Web Text messages: Yes Applications: Address book, calendar, to-do, notepad Sync: Serial port, StarFish TrueSync Infrared: Yes Data Speed: GPRS 56Kbps Radio system: GSM 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 1900MHz Call timer: Yes Call waiting: Yes Caller ID: Yes Last number recall: Yes Missed call listing: Yes Multiple phone books: No Ring options: Ring, vibrate, silent Text messages: Yes (SMS) Voice dialing: No Voicemail: Yes Speakerphone: No