And you can't include audio or video. But you cut the weight of a presentation machine to a few ounces, and you can view your speaker's notes on the Handspring display while projecting the slides, a trick not all laptops can handle. When plugged into your computer's AC adapter socket, it gives up to 16 hours of power. There are a couple of disadvantages. The other is that when running on the Power Pad, your laptop will think it's on AC, so you will have to adjust your power properties manually to get maximum life.
Power adapters can be the curse of anyone who travels with an assortment of devices.
One end of the cable plugs into a universal serial bus port on your notebook, the other into the charger socket of the device. Charging may be somewhat slower than with a standard AC adapter, but it works fine. And you should always plug the cable into a port on the computer or a docking station, not a USB expansion hub, which may lack adequate power. Cables are available for Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Siemens phones, and Palm, Handspring, and Compaq handhelds. Little things can make a big difference in the ease of using assorted devices.