So what constitutes a technomad? Someone who’s entire on-line existance is mobile. It’s an interesting concept although I wouldn’t call it a new one. For years now portable computers have been available everywhere. They allow us the ability to continue computing no matter where we are, battery willing of course.

Even this lowely column is being written at gate C49 at Denver’s International Airport. If I finish before my flight departs, it’ll be posted as well. In my opinion the greatest innovation in the technomadic lifestyle is the ability to connect to the Net nearly everywhere.

The enabling technology here is GPRS. This allows my computer to connect to the Net through my cell phone and thanks to bluetooth, wirelessly to boot. Granted wireless internet access points are springing up in more of the populated areas but GPRS service means that where ever my cell phone works, I can also connect to the global community.

The only thing new here is bluetooth, and even that technology has been around the last year or so. The enabler here is the service. Even today most cell providers charge by the megabyte for data transfer. T-Mobile offers the service for a flat fee: $20 month. This is as much as I would pay to maintain a dial-up ISP. So the cost is now affordable for everyday use, and the speed is certainly no worse than a dial-up connection.

That was the final key for this technomad. I do have a home and I like it, but my career involves travel. My office consists almost entirely of a laptop computer and a wallet of backup CD’s. Being on the road used to mean searching out a telephone in order to get connected and conduct business. With the cell service I have now, the only thing that hampers the technomad lifestyle is the need for power. Even with conservative use I can only get 4 hours out my laptop. Four hours and I’m looking for a power outlet.

The lifestyle’s not perfect yet. But it’s getting there. The cell phone I have is rated for 13 hours of talk time, it’s most likely capable of working all day with my laptop. All I need now is a lightweight notebook that can go 13 hours without sucking on a power tap.

So do I qualify as a Technomad? Well not really. What I do is more akin to going on walkabout than true technomadism. After all, I like coming home too much. Although if the need arose I’m just a step away from it.

If you’re interested in seeing the tales of a true technomad, and I say this only partly in jest, head on over to www.writingonyourpalm.net.