And they're one-hundred-percent correct.

The Advantage is neither a laptop, nor is it a phone. It falls somewhere between the two, and that's why it's a niche device. In fact, it can't even be held up to your head like a regular phone; it can only be used as a speakerphone or with a headset, wired or wireless.

Is it a laptop replacement or PDA for the average consumer? No, it's not. It's just too expensive a product for that.

Is the Advantage a mobile solution for IT consultants and tech troubleshooters? Well, no, not really. It may be a tool for them to add to their arsenal, but it's not going to replace the laptop they take on service calls. The fact that the Advantage runs Windows Mobile is going to limit its usefulness in that capacity.

So who is the target market for the Advantage? Well, techno-dorks like yours truly for one. There is a segment of the electronic consumer market that just has to have every gadget coming down the pike. The folks that stood in line to get an Xbox 360, PSP, or Nintendo Wii the day they were released. The kind of person that never goes anywhere without a laptop, a PDA, a cell phone, and a GPS device. Maybe even an iPod too; and spare batteries for them all. This is the kind of consumer perfect for the Advantage.

But this certainly isn't enough of a market share to justify the creation of a device like this. There must be more, right? Yes, there is.

The mobile executive
In the business world, there is actually a rather large population of executives who are required to have a laptop and cell phone, but only use them within the confines of Outlook and Office. For these individuals, the Advantage is a perfect replacement for the traditional laptop and cell phone.

It is a GSM cell phone with Internet access (depending on your service plan), and it can receive push email via Microsoft Exchange. The Office Mobile suite provides the necessary Office 2007-compliant components, and the video-out option makes it ideal for Powerpoint presentations, smartboard use, and standard media file output. In addition, the built-in hard drive and memory card slot provide for ample storage space.

The large, 5-inch diagonal screen makes it easier to view and work with documents and files. The included keyboard makes input much easier, and if coupled with one of the available docking stations, the Advantage can take "advantage" of a USB hub, full-size USB keyboard, USB mouse, even thumbdrives and flash memory card readers.

I must confess to finding the keyboard a bit awkward to use long-term. It's not quite large enough for touch-typing, and it's too large to thumb-type. Not to mention the device is a bit top-heavy for hand-holding with the keyboard attached. I found myself utilizing a combination of finger-pecking and touch-typing, which worked rather well. But even after seven continuous hours of typing in this manner, I still made rather frequent errors. My recommendation would be to use a docking station and portable or flexible keyboard for any long-term input needs.