WIRELESS WORLD: Mobile gripe time - Pondering a handheld that can't connect, our columnist decries the sorry state of mobile technology.(Technology Information)(Column)

I'M ON VACATION and far from breaking news. So this week I will rant a bit about the state of mobile technology.

Will a handheld ever replace a notebook for the majority of mobile workers?

I set out to prove this in the affirmative but so far have run into a number of problems that I suspect may not be unique to my experience.

After ordering a Compaq iPaq with a high-speed Ricochet modem and a portable keyboard -- two essentials for travel -- I have yet to make it all work. Here's why.

Lack of recognition. Three out of the three computers onto which I loaded Microsoft ActiveSync, a prerequisite for loading software and adding peripherals to …