The rise of the Digital Age has media companies shifting focus to small but powerful communication devices, providing users with a world of information at their fingertips. “Connectivity, wireless features and functionality have all improved within the last 10 years,” said Darrell Hammerly, manager of RadioShack in Pullman. With technology moving so fast, many students and parents find it difficult to keep up with what’s new and what’s hot.

“When I heard Apple was making the iPhone, I thought, ‘It’s about time,’ ” Hammerly said.

Apple Inc.’s new iPhone melds wireless Web, music and cellular service into one hand-held package. The sleek iPod look-alike’s display appears on a 3.5-inch-wide screen and touch pad, from where Internet browsing, MP3 playing and phone calls are controlled. Apple’s iPhone is available with either a 4-gigabyte storage capacity, for $399, or 8-gigabytes for $599. However, all this functionality comes at a cost.

“All the new products coming out are awesome,” said Kyle Thomas, a WSU criminal justice major. “Most students just can’t afford to keep continuously buying and upgrading.” Help may be at hand for those like Thomas. Blackberry’s unveiled the Pearl smart phone, bringing wireless Internet and cutting-edge phone technology to the lower end of the market. Priced for people with a more modest income, at $199 – with a two-year contract – the Pearl offers a 1.3-megapixel camera, a 3.16-ounce weight, Bluetooth technology and a unique tracking-ball pointing device.

Another more budget-friendly competitor, the Sony Mylo, was built with an emphasis toward online chatting and communication. The Mylo comes equipped to handle music, photos and video, along with wireless Internet chat and calling. Mylo, which stands for “My Life Online,” is controlled from a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, similar to a home computer. Weighing in at 5.3 ounces and $349, Sony’s new device is one of the smallest laptop-style communicators available.

With all these choices, how does a starving student decide what to buy or whether to buy these products at all?

“The consumer has to know what they want,” Hammerly said. “They have to get what they want out of every device.”