Handhelds Finally Able To Replace Laptops Adding Power, Software For average users, Palms and other handhelds can handle most everything.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(COMPUTERS MADE PLAIN)

Byline: LYNN WALFORD

If you're looking to trade your laptop for something less bulky, it's a good time to check out handheld computers.

Palm-type devices are much more powerful than they were. They offer added productivity features. And prices continue to drop.

So handhelds increasingly can take the place of much bigger laptop computers.

Dave Johnson, author of the book "How To Do Everything With Your Palm," likes to take his Handspring Visor on flights. He uses it to listen to MP3 music files, write articles -- with a folding keyboard -- and even print documents on a miniprinter.

Johnson seldom uses his notebook computer anymore. Most mainstream computer users probably don't need a notebook, he says.

Palm devices are the size of a pocket calendar and the thickness of a calculator. They're operated by touching the screen with a stylus. Data are synchronized with information on your desktop computer via a cable or infrared beam.