For most families, the idea of spending $2,000 for a personal computer is a far-off dream.

That fact over the long term could result in a sort of information access gap between medium to high income people who can afford the hardware needed to access the global Internet, and low income people, who might not have the same access to e-mail and other public information sources.

Don't think this fact is lost on the hardware companies. The race has been on among hardware developers to create a low-cost machine that could become as common in the American home as a telephone and television set. Both appliances were once considered too expensive for low-income households, but now are so common, that if you know someone without a phone or TV, it is usually by choice.

The conventional wisdom has been that if someone can build a scaled-down, $500 Internet access tool, it would give many households access to information they otherwise would not be able to reach and narrow the "information gap" that some sociologists say is beginning to grow. Build it, and they will buy, and then surf.

At first glance the TransPhone, the first such appliance built by a Canadian company, looks like a fancy telephone. But within just one, seven-pound device that would fit on any desktop is everything anyone would need to be about as wired to the world as you can be.

The TransPhone supports two phone lines, one for voice communications, the other for data, so you can conduct business on-line as well an not miss any phone calls. The telephone keyboard folds up to reveal a VGA color screen and a small computer keyboard. It has a built-in 14.4 kbps modem, ports for a mouse, a printer and other peripherals, and a magnetic card reader for conducting credit card transactions.

But unlike your home computer, it has no hard drive, which would obviously bump the price up into the $2,000 range. Its operating system is a software package licensed from Citrix Systems that supports both Netscape and Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The machine is designed to connect to TransPhone's network, which does provide Internet access as well as clearing services for card transactions.

The first TransPhone model will retail for $995 and will be available in the eastern states this June. It will be an expanded version of the basic device meant to test consumer preferences.

TransPhone CEO Barry Brisco said in a press release that the company hopes to distribute the device through alliances with local businesses, discount shopping clubs and financial service companies.

You can take a look at the device at TransPhone's Web site at www.transphone.com.

This seems like it's only the first of many such appliances that we'll be hearing about in the coming year or so. I've heard that Apple Computer is interested in building a similar machine, but with all their financial problems of late, those plans may be on hold.

In general, I like the idea of reduced-cost Internet appliance, but I would rather see the prices for personal computers come down.

Speaking of new gadgets, a few weeks ago I wrote about how I think a new kind of computer, which I called a pad, will become the new medium for print journalism and replace paper. Well the first such device is already under development and expected to begin production at the end of this year.

The British company Acorn is pitching its NewsPad as a "portable multimedia communications device."

The early buzz on its technical specifications is that it will have a touch-screen for menu selection and on-screen keyboard for data entry. It is also expected to support full-motion video and 16-bit audio. Apparently a Spanish newspaper, El Periodico, is looking at using the device to provide readers with specialty services like stock price bulletins.

As soon as I learn more about it, I'll be sure and get back to you, pronto.

Arik Hesseldahl covers business and technology for the Idaho State Journal. Send your comments and suggestions to ahess@nicoh.com or to ISJREP@aol.com. Through the Keyboard is archived on the Internet at www.nicoh.com/cyberkol/.

This column appears courtesy The Idaho State Journal and NICOH Net, Inc.