The email software, VersaMail, that comes bundled with current Palms is extremely good. It handles ordinary POP3 connections and makes it easy to display, read and reply to email messages from multiple accounts (although each account has a separate display and mail has to be collected separately from each one). The Tungsten C also has Wi-Fi built in that's very easy to set up, making it possible to collect mail using your handheld from the increasing number of public Wi-Fi hotspots. For detecting Wi-Fi hotspots reliably, the $10 (~$AU$13) Netchaser does a terrific job.
Netchaser: for reliable detection of Wi-Fi hotspots.
The big problem -- at least with the Tungsten C -- is the Web browser, which is buggy, crash-prone, and unable to handle pop-up windows (or any other windows when pop-ups are present). You can bookmark your favourite pages, and the interface is nice, but given the browser's propensity to crash, it doesn't matter. If you want to read a page regularly and all you have is the built-in browser, use Avantgo: this is the service that automatically pulls down new content from specified sites whenever you synchronise and formats it for easy reading, giving the Palm a built-in and constantly updated magazine.
PalmOne does sell another browser, the $34.99 (~$AU47) Web Pro, which reportedly works much better. Unfortunately the division of Palm into PalmOne and PalmSource seems to have left the company unable to produce review copies of software. There are many other third-party browsers, including the one in Qualcomm's free Eudora Internet Suite, although it may take a little searching to find one that meets specific needs such as secure log-ins.
If your Palm does not have wireless built in, or if you frequently stay in Ethernet-cable-only hotels, iGo makes a $199 (~AU$265) charging cradle that takes advantage of the Palm Universal Connector to add a cable Ethernet connection. Using the Tungsten C's built-in VPN, it's even possible to synchronise back to your office over the Internet.
Besides these basics, almost anything you could possibly want to do on the Internet is available in a Palm version, from AOL client and Instant Messenger software to Internet Relay Chat to FTP and HTML editing. The one drawback is you can't multitask.
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