I generally seem to be a disorganised person who some how manages to get things done. My method of organisation drives most people who are near and dear to me crazy. My system is to toss everything that I dont immediately have to attend to -- notes, letters, clippings, bills, papers, magazines and the effluvia I collect -- into a big plastic storage bin. Then I know I can always find something if necessary.

I have two small telephone books. One with the "old'' numbers that I haven't yet transferred into my new one because I haven't had the time to sit down and do the job. I like them because they fit into a pocket very easily. Then I have a couple of pocket diaries, one of them an organiser my wife gave as a gift to try and get me started on the path to order.

A couple of weeks ago, someone showed off his new Palm V to me and after seeing how easily he was able to use it I'm thinking of getting one. There are other brands in the market of course but other people I've talked to seem generally hooked on the Palms.

Whatever Palm V's good and bad qualities turn out to be, 3Com has made a machine with a heft and shape that makes it feel like a sleek, well designed machine. The Palm V is half the thickness of the original models. The screen is easy to ready and has a reverse backlighting. It comes with rechargable lithium ion batteries. Anything you store on it can be transferred to your computer, making it easy to keep backup copies in case you break or lose the thing. The new Palm is much better at recognising writing and so makes it easier to store addresses, notes and schedules. What more, it's not packed with masses of programs we'll never use. You simply go to 3Com's Internet site and download what you want.

The drawback is the relatively small amount of RAM -- only 2 megabytes. Palm V costs about $450 in the US. According to the ZDNet review you get no added functionality from the Palm V compared to the Palm III, which goes for about $300. The smaller size, the lithium ion battery (which performs better on recharging), the better screen are the only features worthy of note by the reviewer. The other option from 3Com is the Palm IIIx which has 4 megabytes of RAM and costs $370.

Later this year 3Com is introducing Palm VII, an $800 device with wireless Internet technology. 3Com is hoping consumers will want weather forecasts, sports scores, and stock quotes along with E-mail. The company plans on selling the access for $10 a month.

Check out all you'll ever what to know about the various models of Palm at ZDNet's review site at www.zdnet.com/products/pdauser/palm.html.

These machines are a lot more costly solution to my disorganisation than my low-tech notebooks. And will my disorganisation spill over into the new device or will I suddenly become the highly efficient man who can flip out a schedule or a phone number in an instance? The test will come when I finally decide to get a Palm and transfer all those illegible entries from my two telephone books into the machine. Then I can toss the books away on my storage pile as a back up to the back up. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Sign of the times: A Burger King franchisee in Manhattan has installed five 20 Internet-surfing computers with five video cameras from 3Com Corp. in his restaurant. The cameras are linked to the Internet through high-speed lines that allow customers to send E-mail postcards to anyone they know. I wonder what they do about the grease build up on the computer keys? Now that's a challenge.

IBM is releasing a new model of monitor for those of us who can't afford the high prices for a flat screen monitor. IBM's new 19 inch monitor takes conventional cathode-ray-tube technology and reduces it down to the space taken by a usual 15-inch monitor. The monitor has a viewing area is 17.9 by 16.7 inches, an anti-reflective screen, a short neck, a maximum resolution of 1,600 by 1,200 and comes in black or white. The estimated prices is $600 compared to the $3,000 price tag in the US of a flat-panel monitor.

A recent Tech Tattle on digital cameras sparked a number of responses from readers interested in the technology. I ended up buying the Nikon CoolPix 900 and am very happy with it. It's a 1.2 megapixel camera. I got the camera plus an extra wide angle lens and 10 megabyte card for about $900 sent by courier from New York. That was the state of the technology available to the ordinary consumer three months ago.

On Friday I went to an afternoon Easter party and someone had brought his 1.8 megapixel camera. It's hard to keep up with the nerds these days.

How's this for low tech: The Wall Street Journal reported on the fate of Ralph Hinzman who ended up paying $5,000 to settle a case with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for apparently failing to adequately report on his Year 2000 compliance programme. Mr. Hinzman, 87, is a broker who doesn't own a computer, or for that matter a fax machine. When sent the 17-page form he mailed it back with the comment at the top: "I don't have a computer. I dont know how to fill out these forms''.

Tech Tattle is about issues in technology. Contact Ahmed at 295-5881 ext. 248, or 238-3854, or techtattle ygazette.newsmedia.bm.