Jot it down: While the typewriter has pretty much become extinct, the notebook and pen combination has shown greater resilience. This is mainly due to to their simplicity, something computers are not known for. But they can do color touchscreens, multimedia and other surplus features. In the form of its new Pomera DM20, King Jim has created an electronic version of the notebook and pen. The PDA-like device serves one main function — to make written records. It has a simple 5-inch, VGA monochrome screen and data entry is via an attachable full-size QWERTY keyboard. King Jim produced a similar device last year, the DM10, but its 128-kilobyte internal memory left it rather hobbled. The DM20 fixes that with 89 megabytes of memory. This would be useless for digital photos, much less video, but is fine for text. The device goes a step further in the memory stakes with a microSD card slot.

The great virtues of the DM20 are its ease of use and portability. It weighs just 370 grams and measures 145 × 100 × 33 mm. It operates on a pair of AAA batteries, providing up to 20 hours of operating time, with a single CR2032 for backup. Augmenting its basic notetaking ability, the DM20 can be hooked up to a mobile phone for sending e-mails. It also has a USB port for connecting to a computer, allowing text transfers. The partner computer must use XP, Vista or one of the seven flavors of Windows. King Jim offers two contrasting options. On the software side, 30 different dictionaries can be added. The company also provides a choice of three different "fashion" covers, including a fetching red, to decorate the top of the device.

Price is the only downside with the DM20, at ¥34,650, when it comes out Dec. 11. If it was priced at below ¥20,000 it would be a winner. www.kingjim.co.jp/news/0911/n-pomera.html