They say a dog's life passes seven times faster than a human's. If that's true, maybe, just maybe this crazy world of technology age makes sense to them. After all, in a world where changes that used to take years now take months and companies in their infancy outrank the stalwarts of our economy, perhaps being used to things moving seven times as fast means you can actually take it all in and appreciate the amazing transformation that is taking place.

Take for example the speed with which mobile and wireless technologies are changing the way information is managed and transmitted. In less than a decade, handheld computers have evolved from a technology pariah (who can forget the Newton) to the hottest niche in an increasingly mobile world. According to industry experts, these devices will become as prevalent as cell phones and achieve this penetration in only a fraction of the time.

Yet despite their success, a significant portion of these technological marvels still find themselves relegated to desk drawers or function primarily as paperweights or fancy ornaments. The problem it seems is that despite their tremendous promise, few people recognize the possibilities available with handheld computing beyond storing phone numbers or scheduling appointments (although let's not overlook the fact that they perform these tasks really, really well).

The true promise of these devices lies in their ability to free users from the desktop, without relying on bulky, battery impaired, slow to start laptops. Instead, for many functions, a handheld computer with a few additional pieces of software can perform equally well and do so in a much more compact, lightweight, responsive and efficient manner.

Consider how one investment banking analyst has incorporated this new technology into his professional life (and lightened his briefcase in the process). Equipped with a Palm IIIx and a wireless modem, our analyst friend is able to quickly access and respond to email from virtually anywhere, keeping in constant contact with his office and up to date with other important information that funnels in via email. The wireless connection also provides quick access to market quotes, airline schedules, hotel and restaurant guides and a host of other reference information. The ability to easily access these features instead of having to find a modem port, boot up his laptop and search the Internet at dial-up speeds or engage in long telephone conversations with members of his staff has saved (according to his estimation) an hour a day and reduced the stress level in what is already a very stressful life.

Taking this technology one step further, this same analyst recently added a spreadsheet application to his Palm device and experienced first-hand how truly powerful these devices can be. While attending an industry conference, he received an email (wirelessly of course) from an associate regarding an announcement from one of the companies he tracks. It seems the company did not expect to meet anticipated sales targets for the current quarter and likely for the year. Accessing a forecasting spreadsheet on his Palm device (the Palm spreadsheet synchronizes with Microsoft Excel allowing files to be transferred back and forth from device to desktop) the analyst was able to make a few changes and analyze the impact of the announcement and revise his forecast. Using wireless e-mail and a few phone calls (as time at the conference permitted) the analyst and his staff were able to quickly and confidently prepare a briefing that was distributed to the firm's clients without missing a beat.

As technology continues to advance at a blistering pace (remember dog years) and the awareness of handheld computing's capabilities becomes more widespread, stories like this will become commonplace and uninteresting. However, as long as even one handheld computer cries out from the dark recesses of a desk drawer and owners still find themselves turning to paper-based organizers or clunk laptops the process of education remains.

Whether we are prepared or not, a truly wireless world is at hand, and life tied to the desktop is, well, going to the dogs.

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