Used to be, the only ones you saw with a handheld computer or other portable wireless internet device were Silicon Valley-type executives, whose status as very important people was confirmed by their need to stay connected 24-7.

Not any more. Cellular phones have become as ubiquitous as TVs, and handheld computers are slowly joining them in popularity.

Technology has improved to the point where these wireless devices can send and receive eMail and download small clippings from the internet in real time, and experts predict the two will converge within a few years. In fact, some experts say these cheaper wireless devices may soon overtake the personal computer as the No. 1 way for consumers to get online.

The future of wireless may already be on display in Japan, where a phone called the NTT DoCoMo is wildly popular.

DoCoMo is the world's first so-called third-generation, or 3G, cell phone. Users cannot only call each other, they can go on the internet and send and receive eMail, make travel reservations, go shopping, and pay their bills.

The 3G phones will feature higher-speed internet connections. Today's cell phones typically connect to the web at 9,600 kilobytes per second—essentially the speed of dial-up internet connections nearly a decade ago. But 3G phones will be nearly as fast as today's broadband service for wired computers using DSL, digital subscriber line, or cable modem. They'll also look different, with bigger screens, some in color.

Other 3G phones are expected to hit the market in Europe next year and the United States by 2003, analysts say.

For now, educators are discovering that today's generation of wireless communications systems is a good fit for schools. The administrative value of such devices is a no-brainer, given the need for increased security. But schools also are beginning to discover their value in the classroom as inexpensive instructional tools that can download and upload data from a classroom computer.

Schoolpalms at Smithtown

When Assistant Principal Fran Banyon comes across one of her 2,450 students wandering the halls, she instantly knows what class he's supposed to be in, whether he showed up in that class at all, and what classes he's missed during the rest of the day. If appropriate, she can insert a disciplinary note into his file without trekking up to the office.

That's because Banyon, like the rest of the staff at Long Island's Smithtown High School, is using a Schoolpalm handheld computer manufactured by Symbol Technologies and loaded with administrative software developed by Schoolpalm.com.

Besides tracking student attendance automatically period by period, the handhelds allow Smithtown staff to send real-time messages and exchange data with the school's main computer network from within a half-mile range.

Teachers, administrators, and school resource officers on Smithtown's two-building campus have customized units with different capabilities. Teachers, for instance, are able to access attendance and contact information on their own students through the handhelds, while administrators have access to information on all students.