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Wireless Instant Messaging Makes Conversations Portable
By Gabe Goldberg, APCUG Advisor; Columnist, AARP Computers and Technology Web site

I love technology competition. Having multiple ways to meet a need gives consumers choices; it also encourages vendors to innovate, rather than offering take-it-or-leave-it products.

Being accustomed to PC-based instant messaging (IM), and not enjoying queuing up for Internet access, I was intrigued by wireless IM letting people communicate and have IM-fun without occupying prime family "real estate" -- the PC. Zipit and IMfree, taking different approaches to do this, may eliminate your family traffic jams. There's no monthly fee with either device.

Both handheld devices have almost-normal keyboard layouts but are too small for touch typing. They're good for thumbing or index-fingering and will be quickly comfortable for anyone used to cell phone text messaging. Multi-line displays, scrollable one line-at-a-time, are mostly very readable, except for the way that IMfree displays screen names with messages: hard-to-read white-on-black text with sender/receiver distinguished by upper and lower case letters.

On both devices, slightly odd shift keys allow entering capital letters and numbers/symbols (which don't appear on usual keys); it's all easy to get used to. IMfree sends twelve specific smileys (emoticons like ;-)  for winking) with button combinations; Zipit allocates three buttons to specific smileys and allows setting three others to your choice of symbols -- though they're hard to distinguish. Or you can just enter characters to form smileys! 

My wife called both devices "cute", liking Zipit because it has a lid protecting screen/keyboard and IMfree because it has a modern look. 

More significant is how the units communicate. IMfree includes software and a base station which plugs into a PC USB port; handheld range is about 150 feet. Zipit uses a WiFi network with a range of about 300 feet. (If you don't know what WiFi is, you probably don't have it. It adds to Internet connectivity, typically cable or DSL. It's also
available in "hot spots" like coffee shops.)

IMfree base stations can talk to seven handhelds at once and handhelds can move among base stations, and many Zipits can access a WiFi network at once, so they're both great for at-home IMfests or using IM when visiting or traveling. Unfortunately, IMfree handhelds aren't sold without base stations.

Both devices can carry on multiple conversations. You select IMfree conversations with instant button pushes; Zipit conversations are selected from a pop-up scrollable buddy list, slightly less convenient. If you're switching among conversations, be careful to send messages to the person you intend!

IMfree supports only AOL Instant Messenger (AIM); Zipit supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo. IMfree supports chat rooms and has flexible/powerful parental controls; Zipit only supports instant messaging and lacks such controls. IMfree conversations are private, not shared with the base PC, unless the IM account is also logged on there. A screen name can't be logged on to Zipit and a PC at the same time so Zipit dialogues are private.

Both devices were impressively simple to install. Each has a clear manual, worth reading for learning features and many customization options (alert sounds, display settings, etc.). Neither screen is backlit; they're both reasonably easy to read in normal lighting.  Zipit's lid-mounted screen is easy to angle for best viewing.

Both powerful units share and can modify buddy lists (but Zipit can't create a screen name; you must have or visit a PC for that). On both, idle buddies are flagged and you're notified by tone and visual indicator if a message arrives from a conversation not currently displayed.

Zipit comes in many tasty colors and promises automatic updates adding features such as streaming music. 

There's a great bottom line to this story: I liked both these low-cost devices and they're different enough to fit a variety of needs. So have fun with your IM, wherever your keyboard and handheld may take you. 

Company: Motorola
Product: Motorola Personal Instant Messenger Mx240 (IMfree)
Price: $50 or less online -- shop around!
URL: broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/imfree/

Company: Aeronix Consumer Media Systems
Product: Zipit Wireless Messenger
Price: $100
URL: www.zipitwireless.com

This article originated on AARP's Computers and Technology Web site,  www.aarp.org/computers, and is copyrighted by AARP. All rights are reserved; it may be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, or transferred, for single use, or by nonprofit organizations for educational purposes, with attribution to AARP. It should be unchanged and this paragraph included. Please e-mail Gabe Goldberg at 
gabe@gabegold.com when you use it, or for permission to excerpt or condense.

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author.  The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.