BUYER’S GUIDE: Mobile Essentials 

BY MICHAEL ANTONIAK


Service to go

A mobile tool kit is a must-have item today. In fact, the more competitive your market, the more some combination of portable hardware and support services will demonstrate your commitment to your buyers and sellers. There are no set rules for equipping your “field office.” Rather, your own need for access and information should define your choices.

A cell phone’s a given. Also important are text and instant messaging, e-mail, and even photo and listing transmission. To meet all those needs, many professionals now carry a multifunction handheld. See “Always at hand ” (June 2005, page 58) for product specs and buying information.

There’s no better information management solution than a computer—especially if you can carry it with you. The challenge, though, is deciding between a PDA (the lightest of your options), a notebook (for processing power), or a Tablet PC (for taking notes with an electronic pen). All three can hold contact records and core software applications and can be set up to access the Web wirelessly.

Whatever you choose, you need a storage solution for protecting data and moving files between your mobile and primary computers. Portable hard drives, under $200 and with capacity for gigabytes of data, are small enough to slip into your pocket. Even more compact are key-size Flash drives that plug into a USB port. A 128MB USB Flash drive starts around $30.

When you need a hard copy of that e-mail or PDF contract, a portable printer can save you a trip to the office. They’re lightweight but also slower and more expensive than a desktop printer; they start under $300.

The latest mobile technology to win practitioners’ hearts? GPS-based vehicle navigation systems. Users report that the device’s turn-by-turn directions can save hours each day.

And that’s what makes mobility so crucial. Properly equipped, you’ll have more time to focus on guiding consumers to a satisfying deal.

The real price of mobility

When outfitting your mobile office, factor into your budget the entire range of voice, data, and document services and related fees.

For example, REALTOR VIP® Alliance Partner Nextel Communications (www.nextel.com/nar) offers a three-tiered program of cell phone data service plans for e-mail, text messaging, and wireless Web wherever its cellular service is available. Data plans range from $9.99 to $29.99 per month. The fee is based on the amount of usage and data sent and received. For $9.99 per month, Nextel also offers GPS-based turn-by-turn directions on some cell phones through its Telenav service (www.telenav.com/telenavnextel).

Laptop and PDA users who want to tap into the growing network of “hot spots” for wireless Internet access have several payment options. T-Mobile’s service (www.tmobile.com) is available for $6 per hour, $9.99 for a one-day pass, $39.99 per month without a long-term service contract, or $29.99 per month with a one-year commitment. For Cingular Wireless hotspot connect time
(www.cingular.com/laptopconnect/wifi_serviceplans), expect to pay $9.99 for a one-day pass, $29.99 for five days, and $49.99 for 10 days.

For sending and receiving faxes without a fax machine, both eFax (www.efax.com) and FreedomVOICE (www.freedomvoice.com) offer e-mail-based solutions. The base rate for the eFax plan is $12.95 per month, and FreedomVOICE’s FaxFreedom starts at $9.95 per month. Additional fees can apply.

Navigation systems

Streets and Trips 2005 with GPS Locator $129 Microsoft Corp., www.microsoft.com/streets, 800/426-9400. Windows-compatible navigation software with U.S. and Canadian maps. USB-compatible GPS locator determines location and best route to destination. Provides turn-by-turn directions on screen. Utilities for calculating fuel costs and estimating travel time. Includes Pocket Streets for Pocket PC and for smartphones.

StreetPilot c330 Navigator $964.27 Garmin International, www.garmin.com, 800/800-1020. Portable GPS navigator with touch-sensitive 3.5-inch color screen, built-in speakers, and maps of United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Users enter destination or series of destinations via screen prompts. Maps displayed in three-dimensional or bird’s-eye view modes. Provides spoken and visual turn-by-turn directions. Car power adapter and suction cup mount included.

Mobile computing

Gateway M360S $849.99 Gateway Computers, http://esource.gateway.com, 800/207-7580, mention code BSTM20302. Entry-level notebook with Intel Celeron M 1.3GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, and CD-ROM drive. 15.4-inch monitor. 4-in-1 flash memory card reader. Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Ethernet network compatibility. 6-cell lithium battery. Windows XP Home edition OS. 6.1 pounds.

Compaq tc4200 $1,599 Hewlett-Packard, www.hp.com/go/nar, 800/888-8177, mention NAR. Centrino Tablet PC with Intel Pentium M 1.73GHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 40GB hard drive. 12.1-inch touch-sensitive LCD screen. Electronic pen for entering data, controlling applications on screen. Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g networking. 4.6 pounds.

Dell Latitude X1 $1,699 Dell Computer, www.dell.com/smb/nar, 877/648-3355, mention NAR. Ultra-compact Centrino notebook with Intel Pentium M 1.1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 30GB hard drive, and CD-RW/DVD drive. 12.1-inch wide-angle display. Integrated Ethernet and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g networking. Bluetooth compatible. Windows XP Home or Professional OS. 2.5 pounds.

ThinkPad X41 Model #25285FU $2,149 Lenovo, www.ibm.com/businesscenter/nar, 800/426-7235 Ext. 5766, mention NAR. Centrino notebook with Intel Pentium 1.5GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, and CD-RW/DVD drive. 12.1-inch LCD screen, full-sized keyboard. Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g and Ethernet network support. Fingerprint reader. 3.69 pounds. Circle RS #055

Mobile printing

Pixma iP90 $249.99 Canon U.S.A. Inc., www.usa.canon.com, 800/385-2155. Portable inkjet photo/document printer. Prints up to 16 black-and-white pages per minute (ppm), 12ppm color. 1,200 dpi resolution. Produces 4 x 6-, 5 x 7-, or 8.5 x 11-inch prints. Direct printing from any PictBridge-compatible digital or video camera. Options include car power adapter, Bluetooth adapter for wireless printing. 4 pounds.

DeskJet 450wbt $349.99 Hewlett-Packard, www.hp.com/go/nar, 800/888-8177. Bluetooth-compatible portable inkjet printer. Up to 9 ppm black, 5 ppm color. 1,200 dpi resolution. Prints standard- and legal-sized documents. Built-in CompactFlash card slot for printing from digital film cards. Fast-charging lithium ion battery. 4.2 pounds without battery.

PocketJet 3 Plus $450 Pentax Imaging, www.pentaxtech.com, 800/543-6144. Thermal printer uses special paper and requires no ink or toner. 3 ppm at 300 dpi resolution. Prints images and up to legal-sized documents. IrDA and USB compatible. Internal battery charger automatically recharges battery when printer’s plugged in. Less than 1 pound. 200 dpi version available.

Portable data storage

128MB Flash Drive Mini $29.95 Imation Corp., www.imation.com, 888/466-3456. Entry-level version of company’s USB flash drive. Compatible with USB 1.1 and 2.0 standards. Plug-and-play drive requires no software driver to run. Swivel cap protects drive’s connector. 256MB and 512MB versions also available. Less than 1 ounce.

512MB Cruzer Profile $99.99 SanDisk Corp., www.sandisk.com, 408/542-0500. High-capacity USB 2.0-compatible flash drive with security protection. Plug-and-play drive requires no special software driver. Includes software for file encryption, data synchronization with Outlook, and file backups. Fingerprint reader prevents unauthorized access to data. 1GB version also available. Less than 3 ounces.

40GB Iomega Portable Hard Drive $119.95 Iomega Corp., www.iomega.com, 888/446-6342. High-capacity storage. USB 2.0 drive compatible with Windows and Macintosh computers. Powered through USB connection; no need for AC power. On/off switch allows users to shut off drive and remain connected to USB without draining computer power. Includes software for automatic backup of files and data encryption. 60GB, 80GB, and 100GB versions available. 5.76 ounces.

Prices are the manufacturers’ suggested retail prices and are subject to change. This list isn’t comprehensive; NAR doesn’t evaluate or endorse these products and services and isn’t responsible for changes in company info. Some product models may not be part of the REALTOR VIP® Alliance Program.

Voices of experience

∙ Sandy Johns
broker-owner, Premier Properties, Gilmer, Texas
Twenty-seven-year real estate veteran Johns can’t imagine working without her cell phone, Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, and OnStar vehicle navigation system. “No more trips back to the office unless it’s absolutely necessary,” she says. “I have everything with me, even electronic forms and contracts, whenever I need it.”

∙ Arnold Becker
salesperson, Help-U-Sell Elk Grove & Laguna, Elk Grove, Calif.
“If you’re doing your job right, you’re in the office only a fraction of the time,” Becker says. “With e-mail and access to records on every transaction, I can get the job done no matter where I am.” His mobile office includes a Treo smartphone, Dell notebook, Hewlett-Packard mobile printer, Garmin GPS navigation system, and a network of T-Mobile Wi-Fi hot spots. “The GPS system sorts through addresses and tells me the best route to take clients, whether it’s to one home or to several,” he says.

∙ Pam Frey-Primiani
salesperson, Coldwell Banker Elite, REALTORS®, Medford, N.J.
Frey-Primiani recently added the Magellan RoadMate GPS to her arsenal, which includes a notebook PC, cell phone, and portable printer. Her cell phone’s a given, but beyond that, “if I could keep only one thing, it would be the GPS system,” she says. “It saves so much time and makes it so easy to get around, even when you’ve never been through an area before.”

VIP partner
REALTOR VIP®Alliance Program partners offer special pricing to NAR members. Learn more at REALTOR.org/realtorVIP.