However, today's handhelds have moved light years beyond simple mathematical calculations, and continue to advance at an amazing rate.

Brian Lefebvre, proprietor of the Radio Shack in Hay River, gives a demonstration of handheld capabilities with the top-of-the-line Palm M515.

Along with being a calculator, the M515 can be a scheduler, an alarm clock, an address book and can do just about anything a desktop computer can do. For example, the user can create and edit e-mail and documents in Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Plus, it can transfer information to and from a desktop computer.

"It could be used by anybody for virtually anything," Lefebvre says.

And he sees handheld computers becoming more and more popular.

"As fast as they come in, they're going out of the showcase."

The increasing popularity is mainly because of cost.

"The prices have dropped considerably," says Lefebvre, noting the Palm M515 was priced over $700 this past summer, but has now dropped to $550.

"That may have encouraged more people to look at them, not just those with huge pocketbooks," he says.

A handheld computer can range in price from $169 up to about $1,500. Although they are called handheld, such computers can also be attached to a folding keyboard. Plus, the many makers of handheld computers -- such as Palm, Sony, Casio, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and Toshiba -- have been adding more and more features to their various models. That includes wireless links between handhelds, expansion slots to increase memory, colour screens and improved image quality.

The interest in handheld computers seems to be increasing as Christmas nears.

"There are lots of questions, especially by spouses buying for their significant others," Lefebvre says. "They're not sure which one to get and which one would be appropriate."

But he says there is a handheld computer available to meet everyone's particular needs.