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Desert Island Devices
The Travel Technologist · February 24, 2002

If you were cast away on an island from which there was no escape, what travel technology would you want to have with you? In previous years I've reviewed these gadgets I can't live without.

But technology changes quickly, and unfortunately other "best of" lists don't serve travelers like you very well because they ignore the needs of someone who is on the go. Instead of portability, for example, some lists value speed more highly (which is fine, as long as you're not on the road for weeks at a time). Other lists give battery life and power consumptions short shrift. Not us.

Here, then, is my 2002 list of desert island gadgets:

The BlackBerry RIM 957 is a remarkable personal digital assistant that's always on and always connected to a wireless network. Compose e-mail on its keyboard (yes, it's got a real keyboard), download an industrial-size address book from your PC, and set appointments on its calendar. The BlackBerry is not only easy to use, but it's also addictive. My first version of this device got "confiscated" by my girlfriend and she wouldn't return it to me until the trial account expired. I've hidden the latest model so that she doesn't find it. At a list price of $499, you might think twice about investing in one of these. (Roaming service costs $24.99 a month.) But after you've had a chance to use the BlackBerry, you won't know what you did without it.

Leica made the best digital camera for my money and although it discontinued the model (a Digilux 4.3) I am waiting for it to introduce a new generation of digital cameras. The old 4.3 was pretty amazing for its time. Light sensitivity up to ISO 800 and a 3X zoom lens, all in a very elegant body. I've tested so many other digital cameras and none compare to Leica's. If you're interested in video, then I'm partial to the Sony DCR TRV-900, which shoots images suitable for broadcast at prices that would turn TV professionals green with envy (how many Beta cameras can you buy for $1,500?).

The Handspring Treo. I'm not talking about the 180 that was released a few weeks ago at a list price of $399 and was, for all intents and purposes, the successor to the Kyocera Smartphone. I'm talking about the ultimate cell-phone/personal digital assistant combination, the Treo 270, which will be released the middle of this year. Cost: a prohibitively pricey $599. But it's a gadget that, if the early reviews are to be believed, will set a new standard for wireless technology. Unlike previous combos, the 270 will feature a crisp color screen surrounded by an eminently portable phone device. Among the promised features: a dual-band phone, SMS text messaging, and a built-in keyboard.

And what about the personal computer? Well, for the first time since I've begun writing this column, I believe the laptop is optional. I wouldn't want to spend several years on an island without a computer, to be sure. But when it comes to short trips, it's getting to where you can leave the computer at home.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. The Travel Technologist appears weekly on this site. This story was also published on SmarterLiving.com.