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There must be a market for alternative devices to access the Internet because so many of them continue to appear. The underlying idea that all of these products share is that there are a lot of people out there who want to go online without using a computer.

Users of Internet appliances usually fall into two major categories. The first are those whom already own a computer. However they don't like the idea of having to turn on the computer and wait through the long start up cycle just to see if they have some email waiting or they just want to check some online service such as movie listings or getting a stock quote. This group may also want to go online from another room in the house but can't justify buying a second computer or just don't want one humming in their kitchen or bedroom.

The second group are those who don't own a computer for whatever reason. It might be because they can't afford one, aren't computer literate, or they simply have no interest in taking the time to learn how to operate one.

These two categories represent a very large number of potential Internet surfers and Internet service providers everywhere are bound and determined in bringing all of them under the online wing. One way to get them is to integrate an Internet access device into something they already understand and use. WebTV was one of the first to use that formula with the TV set. A WebTV converts the ordinary TV set into an Internet window. Another electronic device that lends itself naturally to online communications is itself a communications device, namely the telephone. And BigPlant has recently introduced their version of an Internet telephone and have named it the iPhone.

The iPhone is first and foremost a telephone that offers Internet access. The iPhone is a full featured telephone and comes with most of the abilities you'd expect in a high-end telephone such as a full duplex speakerphone, integrated digital answering machine, Caller-ID and a directory that stores calls you make and logs the calls you receive. The black and white screen can be tilted for an optimal viewing angle and is also touch sensitive. The screen is used to select most of the telephony functions.

The iPhone's Internet abilities include a small but easy to type keyboard that slides out from underneath the dial pad. Indicator lights will flash when you have messages on the answering machine as well as one to indicate that you have email waiting. The proprietary web browser and email application are sufficient for reading email and surfing to online services. The iPhone is not a substitute for a computer's full and richer Internet experience such as playing MP3 music files, watching streaming video, or viewing Flash and Shockwave enhanced sites.

The iPhone can be used with a single phone line. If a call comes in while you are on the Internet, your session is interrupted so you can take the call. When you log back on with a simple tap of the screen, the iPhone automatically remembers where you left off and resumes your online session. This is accomplished via BigPlanet's service to which you must subscribe however you can use your own ISP if you like. In that case you will still need to use BigPlanet's proxy server. Check with BigPlanet for their different ISP plans.

You can also use the iPhone with two phone lines but the iPhone is not to be considered a two line phone. One line will always be used for voice while the other will always be used for data. In this scenario, you can make and receive calls without interrupting your Internet session.

The iPhone sells for $249.

www.bigplanet.com