Instant messaging away from the PC

Gary Krakow Columnist • E-mail

It seems that the world is instant messaging like crazy all of a sudden. Glad everyone is catching up. Companies I’ve worked for over the past 25 years have all had some sort of instant messaging. They understood, early on, the importance of being able to dash off a note in real time and get an instantaneous response. It was used as a kind of 2-way paging system before there were actually 2-way paging systems.

Now, instant messaging is everywhere -- computers, PDAs, cell phones and even some high-tech watches. And these days, IM makes a lot of sense for everyone -– from grade school students and busy parents to high-level executives.

There are many ways to send and receive IMs, but some are better than others depending on your needs.

Of course, you can IM with a computer. Just add an Internet connection and the software for your favorite IM service. You probably already have a connection to the Internet if you’re reading this. As for your IM service, ask your friends and/or business associates what they use and choose accordingly. AOL, MSN and Yahoo are all very similar in what they provide. If you need to be multilingual, pick one of the services such as Trillian or Jabber that let you communicate with several IM protocols.

But, like using a pager, IM is sometimes most useful when you’re on the run, even if you’re just running from room to room. Hardware manufacturers have come to the rescue with a whole bunch of standalone wireless IM devices.

Motorola Motorola's IMfree wireless device lets you IM while roaming through your home.

Motorola’s IMfree is designed for neophytes and kids. Handheld and wireless, it lets kids roam almost anywhere around the house — up to 150 feet from an Internet-connected PC and base station. They can chat with up to six friends at a a time — and all without tying up a computer or piling up cell phone charges. The best part of the IMfree for adults is that it comes with settings so that parents can decided when the device can be used and which chat invitations can be accepted.

IMfree works with the AOL Instant Messenger service on Windows PCs and is quite reasonable — you can find the starter kit selling for $20 to $25 on the Web. The device seems pretty durable, which is good, given the constant, heavy use it's likely to get.

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