Portable e-mail device Peek refreshingly simple yet effective

— -- Tech gadgets fall into two categories: "Because-we-can" gizmos loaded with a battalion of features, or dirt-simple ones that do just one or two things well.

The Peek e-mail device I've been testing marches in the latter camp. It's refreshingly uncomplicated.

Peek is aimed at consumers who want to read e-mail or write new ones using a tiny Qwerty-style keyboard from anywhere, but who have stayed away from smartphones because they're too complicated or costly.

It works with AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and other e-mail services. You can access up to three accounts. Peek sort of looks like a smartphone but isn't one. If you're a techie expecting much beyond e-mail, it is not for you. It doesn't make or receive calls, snap pictures, display a calendar, include a browser, play games, download music or run office applications.

Setup is fast and simple. Enter the user name and password for your account and you're good to go. The battery lasts several days. I like the device, though Peek needs to speed up mail delivery and address time-stamp issues on incoming messages.

Under a temporary deal, Peek is available at Target, Amazon and the company's own getpeek.com website for $80, plus a monthly fee of $19.95 There are no contracts. Unfortunately, the hardware reverts to its regular $100 price in December. I wish the monthly fee were $5 to $10 cheaper.

One thing Peek will start letting users do — as of Thursday — is to send and receive unlimited text messages, for no extra fee. I had to add an e-mail appendage to a cellphone number to test the new capability, but that step won't be necessary when texting is fully operational.

A closer peek at Peek:

•The basics. At just under 4 ounces, Peek is thinner than an iPhone and all the BlackBerrys I've seen. Of course, the lack of a microphone, speaker, etc. helps keep the size modest. On the side is a handy back button and BlackBerry-like scroll wheel you push to summon a menu of options (e.g., Reply, Forward, Save sender, etc.). There are also keyboard shortcuts.