If you've seen the movie The Saint, you know what I'm talking about. Val Kilmer conveniently pulls out a Nokia cellular phone, opens it, yes opens it, and sends e-mail. This has got to be a movie toy, right? Wrong.

On November 5, 1997, Nokia introduced to the world what could be the leading cellular phone of the future. Now I own a Nokia and I think it is great. However, this the Nokia 9000 Communicator puts my phone and every, and I stress every, other phone on the market to shame. It looks like any other cell-phone that's out. It has a keypad, a cool screen, and looks on the outside like any expensive cell-phone.

However, the surprise is when you open it. Yes open it! There is an integrated keyboard which allows you to access e-mail, fax, and the internet. All from the palm of your hand. It houses a personal organizer, which when all information is stored, can be used for all the functions: calendar, fax, e-mail, and the internet. One of the coolest features is the speaker phone. For example, you can receive a fax, with the phone open and discuss through the speaker phone at the same time.

It takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge the Nokia 9000i Communicator, but then it runs from anywhere of about 2.5-3.5 hours, which is pretty impressive. My phone, the Nokia 239 takes an hour to charge, but only has a talk time of 1.5 hours. The Communicator can be easily linked to PC, which allows printer use and infrared data transmission.

While Val Kilmer is using one of theses puppies to be the coolest cold-war agent, after the cold war, the Communicator does seem like a practical tool. It is practically an office in your pocket. No need to enjoy the internet or receive e-mail only on your PC, it can now be done from the convenience of a cell-phone.

All information for this article and additional information can viewed at

www.club.nokia.com