Hi Gerhard (Gerhard Fiedler), in <3.0.32.19970807160557.00690918@pop5.ibm.net> on Aug 7 you wrote:

> I need a handheld device with something in it that is more or less PC (XT)
> compatible -- enough compatible to be able to run standard DOS comm apps on
> it. (I'd rather try to avoid stuff like Embedded DOS or the like, but as a
> last resort this might be possible, too.)
> 
> Display, keys and memory requirements are not excessive, but I need a COM
> port (obviously :-).

HP200LX from Hewlett Packard is exactly what you need.  80186, DOS 5, 115k
bps com port, keyboard, 640x200 bw display, pcmcia slot for flash mem and
modem, IrDA, 2MB RAM (640k for DOS, 1,3M as disk) and lots of useful apps
in ROM (zmodem terminal program, address, manager, editor etc).  Its as
small as 3 bars of chocolate on top of each other.

DOS compatibility makes it run funny stuff, like eg SecDevice for mounting
crypto partitions.  Windows 3.0 has been reported to run by someone on the
net, but don't expect it to be acceptable speed.