Displaying texts: books, news, mass media messages, helps or documents is among the most used functions of any PDA. Articles are no exception. Just download a couple of dozen of articles on whatever the subject - from a site like this one into your PDA - and read away anyplace. Before you know, you become quite familiar with the subject you read on.

Yet what can one do when there is no PDA? None at all or none available at a time. However, at a time like this, there is something you never leave behind, which is... your cellular phone. Expensive modern telephones display texts, even though making reading not quite as comfortable as palmtops do. However, most cheap or outdated telephones can do the same with just about as much convenience as when using a PDA. This capability is based on a seemingly very simple idea. A text is converted into a Java application which can be loaded into a mobile phone the same way one downloads games or other applications like, for instance, a calculator. You do that and that is it. Read all you want anyplace where you have nothing but you cellular phone. For the modern person, having a mobile phone along has become more commonplace than having home keys or a wallet. And as long as you have your phone along, you can read anything you want to or must.

We know several desktop PC programs that will make such Java applications for you. Different in small details, they all work alike. Install one of these programs on your desktop, start it and load in the text you need. After that, you will have to set several parameters like the type of your mobile phone, font color and size, background color, scrolling and navigation methods, etc. This done, the Java application is compiled and loaded into the mobile phone according to its manual. Read and enjoy.

The functionality and capabilities of such applications are close to those of modern PDA reading programs. Normally, there is automatic scrolling, bookmark capability, navigation, text search and such. You can read comfortably even when all you have is a totally outdated cellular telephone. When you do that, just do not forget that your phone may also be used for making calls.

Konstantin Frid is the webmaster and publisher of www.RifcoMobile.com and www.bizPla.net.

This article with links to the mentioned programs you will find at Articles Collection at RifcoMobile.com.