OK, technically, I guess it's a pager, but the Motorola Talkabout T900 is one of those two-way wireless text messaging devices like the Blackberry. The news here is that Microsoft's MSN network has made a deal with Motorola and Arch Wireless to shoot Hotmail email messages and other web services directly to the devices - if you happen to be in Arch Wireless' service area. The Talkabout T900 2way with MSN Hotmail will use Arch Wireless' nationwide two-way data network. Microsoft say the gadget is available around $59.99 after a mail-in rebate with monthly service starting at $14.95. The Talkabout T900 2way is a keyboard-based device that lets you send and receive wireless Internet e-mail and text messages, and (via MSN and Arch) receive customized information from the Internet like news, market, sports, and weather information. It has a four-line, 80-character QWERTY keyboard and illuminated display and weighs less than 4 ounces.

Aside from the fact that the service is MSN-based (my bias comes from personal experience) it sounds like a pretty cool idea. The problem, as always, is the same as it is with WAP-based email. Unless, for example, Hotmail is your primary email service, people trying to get in touch with you either have to know which email address to contact you at if you're using the device or send messages to multiple email addresses. It's amazing that some genius hasn't started setting up deals between cell phone service providers and ISPs that would allow you to use a single email address for all of your messages. In my personal case, my cell service provider, ISP, and land-line DSL/POTS provider are (or at least once were) all part of the same local telco (if you live in Northern CA, you know what I'm talking about, but I'm sure the same is true elsewhere) and I still can't get my email messages forwarded to my phone from my primary email address. Geez, think of the potential for packages deals. It's all very strange. Technology marches endlessly on, but common sense is still tough to come by.