Graphics applications over the wireless Web: Japan sets the pace

In Japan, the wireless cell phone has displaced the desktop PC as the preferred Internet access tool. The rest of the world is expected to follow Japan's lead in embracing the wireless Internet. By 2003, nearly all wireless devices will be Web enabled, and i-Mode is setting the pace. i-Mode phones, with screens the size of business cards, may seem less than ideal for Internet access, but it is important to realize that the wireless Web represents a new medium that will change the way people work and play. Consumers and professionals will use mobile devices for audio-visual communications, sending and receiving email with rich media, and consulting databases with technical drawings. The cell phone is transforming into a multifunctional tool with increasingly sophisticated graphics capabilities.