Pictured to the left are the PocketMails. The TM20 (top) was manufactured by Sharp Electronics. These devices have been in use for some time now, and are an ideal companion for accessing e-mail on the road. The 2 most important features of these devices are size, and they do not require a modem connection. They can be used from any telephone including pay phones, cellphones, etc. The size of the Pocketmails are approximately the same as a thick checkbook, and they fit neatly in a pocket, hence the name.
The bottom device is nown as The Composer. It is the newer model. There are very few phones that this device will not work with. If you find one that doesn't work, move to the next phone. I've seen side-by-side phones in which one will work, and the other will not. Some of the problems of the TM20 were corrected on the Composer, but I preferred using the TM20. It had a couple of features that were not incorporated into the Composer.
They can be purchased for around$100 depending on where you shop. They're available from Camping World, Office Max and many other outlets. The monthly e-mail service is around $15 per month, but can be cheaper if you buy it on a yearly basis. So if you want to use e-mail on the road without any hassle, this device is meant for you. The only drawback is the size of e-mails. It will only accept messages of 4000 characters, 6000 for the Composer, incoming or outgoing. And it will not receive attachments. If you have a laptop along, you can download the attachments into the laptop.
I am not an agent or a salesman for the PocketMail, I'm just passing along some good information. We've used both devices and they work wonderfully well for receiving e-mails on the road.
Unfortunately with the cheap advent of cellphones these devices may have become obsolete.
