I would like to propose a new category of digital tool. Call it a "notetop". Simply put, it is a PDA in a small laptop form factor.

This has been tried before -- HP Jornada 820, Compaq Aero 4000, NEC Mobilepro 880 -- without a great success. They failed for two primary reasons: the WinCE operating system, up to version 2.1, wasn't very robust or stable; and these devices were marketed all wrong. I think the time is ripe to reconsider.

The design objectives are:

• Convenience
• Ease of use
• Affordable

Convenience. Laptops are so inconvenient because they take so long to boot up, they don't run very long without being plugged in, and they tend to run hot. PDA's are so inconvenient because they are hard to read and they are hard to use for normal people so they end up being expensive phone books.

So let's focus on their strengths.

The strengths of the laptop form is that there is a keyboard that is easy to use and a screen that is easy to read in a reasonably portable package. Most people perfer to use a keyboard to enter data. They like to see what they are typing, pretty much as it's going to come out. The Jornada, for instance, fits nicely in a large handbag, briefcase or small backpack and doesn't add much weight.

The strengths of the PDA is instant-on, long battery life, and cool operation. With the new round of improvements to the software, the operating systems have improved to the point that PocketPC 2002 is the useful equivalent of Windows 95.

What is generally convenient use? Most people are, a priori, late adopters. They don't want cutting edge. They want solid function and solid value. Email, surfing, word processing, address book, printing. Good sound and hook-up to external storage for music, photos and backup. Decent video with hook-up to external DVD player. Wireless (802.11b) built-in as an option. Phone/modem built-in as an option.

Ease of use. One of the strong points of the Mac is that Apple controls the core hardware, so they are able to optimize the performance and focus on usability rather than flexibility. The PDA operating systems are in the same position. Focus on the core functionality and make is completely simple to use.

For most people, the need to synchornize to a PC is useless. Why shouldn't this be the primary machine?

Affordable. Keep the price down. Currently NEC sells the MobilePro 880 for under $600. It's WinCE 2.1 with 256 color screen, but it's low production, touted as the "executive" PDA. Up the features, up the volume, up the price a little bit.

Marketing. This is the key. I see three primary markets.

The first is seniors who want to keep in contact with the kids and each other. Properly designed and packaged, this could be positioned as a security/emergency device for medical information and contact with resources, particulary with the phone option.

The second is middle-school to high-school kids (non-nerds) for individual communication and homework. If a reasonable desktop costs $1,000, then two kids could have their own machines for not much more.

The third is professionals who want the convenience features and don't need all the wizbang that a full operating system on a laptop provides. For that matter, if properly engineered, the notetop could replace the laptop for many general purpose functions.

Appropriate technology. There are two trends driving this idea.

The first is purely selfish. This is what I want. I'm tired of the PDA form factor and I'm tired of laptops. I just want something that is instant-on, where I can write memos, have my contacts, do some email and surfing, all in a form that is convenient. I would like to be able to see the screen without squinting and see pages in a full format, not some stripped version for a 1/4-size screen.

The second is the notion of appropriate technology. Late adopters deserve to have the best of breed, synthesized into a usable package. This doesn't mean sluffing off two versions back as appropriate. It means doing the hard work of filtering and tuning and producing something that best suits a well-known set of daily tasks.