In my experience, the handheld world can be divided into two groups of people: Those who own a handheld device, and those who want one. (I recognize, of course, that the latter category includes some neo-Luddites who do not yet realize that they want a handheld device).

Invariably, people who already have a handheld device ask me what kind of device I have. People who want a handheld device ask me what I use mine for.

The first question is easily answered. I have a Handspring Visor Prism. I always have difficulty answering the second question, however. This difficulty arises not because I don't use my Visor enough, but because I use it a lot. How can I tell someone, usually a virtual stranger, that my Visor is my calendar, my address book, my expense tracker, my mini laptop, a source of entertainment and news, and the best time killer ever found in a courthouse? How can I effectively tell someone in the space of a few seconds that my Visor, a device that fits easily within the breast pocket on my suit jacket is the one piece of technology that I would not want to be without. Sure, I love my desktop PC, and my mobile phone is great. However, I would rather go without the desktop and the mobile phone than without my Visor.

With my Visor I have my calendar with me at all times. I can use the search function and within seconds I can know not only the next time that a particular case is up in court, but also every other date that I have been in court on that matter.

I also have with me at all times my complete address book. It contains all phone numbers for the attorneys in my firm, my clients, opposing attorneys, and anyone else that I might need to get in touch with.

Using my Targus Stowaway Keyboard, and Blue Nomad's Wordsmith, I can transform my Visor into a mini laptop, a laptop that I can fit into my two front pants pockets if I want to. Using these two items (which are in my opinion the first two things any Palm owner should buy after purchasing their device), I can go to the law library and take notes that, when I return to the office, are already transcribed and saved in Word. I can go to depositions and take notes that, when I return to the office, I can print out and place in the file in a format that anyone else can read without trying to decipher my handwriting. Also, when I arrive at court early or when I am waiting for a judge to come out, I can used the time that would normally be wasted to work on other matters or to write articles like this (what was written entirely on my Visor using my Stowaway Keyboard and Wordsmith).

If I do not have work to do or an article to write, I can also use my Visor to pass the time while I am waiting for judges to start court (not that judges are ever late starting court). If I wish, I can play a game (Hot Pipes, Hearts, and Euchre being my favorites), or I can read something I downloaded using AvantGo. Not only do I use Avant Go to download maps of new places I need to go, I also use it to read the New York Times Book Review, columnists from the Washington Post, a daily dose of trivia, and the latest in Palm news.

If I want or need to, I can use my Thinmodem Plus, which slips into my Springboard expansion slot, to surf the internet on my Visor. I agree that a handheld device is not the best device to surf the internet. However, it works better than a wireless phone, and it sure beats having nothing when you need to get information off the net. In addition to giving me the ability to access the internet, my Thinmodem Plus also gives me an additional 8MB of memory, all in a device that slips into the back of my Visor without increasing its size.

Finally, although it may be hard to believe, my Visor saves me money. It does this with its Expense tracking program. As a litigator, I average four mornings a week in court. Because I practice in the Chicago suburbs, I must drive to and from various courthouses, pay tolls to get to and from court, and pay parking fees (whether meters or in a garage). Any time that I incur an expense such as this, I immediately record it in my Visor. At the end of the month, and after a quick synch, I have a spreadsheet that totals my mileage and other expenses for the month. Thus, by spending a few seconds recording the charges when they are incurred, and less than two minutes generating the final spreadsheet, I have accurately recorded and reported all of my expenses. I know other attorneys who spend up to an hour at the end of every month trying to calculate their reimbursable expenses. Not only is that hour at the end of the month wasted time, but also, there is no doubt in my mind that those attorneys forget expenses for which they are entitled to reimbursement. By using the simple program included with my Visor, I waste none of my time that I could use working, and I know that I am submitting an accurate expense report.

In sum, my Visor is the one device that I carry with me everywhere I go and that I use for a myriad of tasks. There is no question that a person can practice law without using a handheld device. What I don't understand, however, is why anyone would want to.

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Bryan M. Sims, an associate with James, Gustafson and Thompson, Ltd. in Naperville, IL, concentrates his practice in civil litigation. Before joining the firm, he worked as a law clerk for Illinois Supreme Court Justice S. Louis Rathje.

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