But all this talk of utility misses the point. The Pilot is so hot it’s cool - the techie equivalent of the $30 Cohiba stogie. The company knew it had a hit when computer writers failed to return its review units (not us at NEWSWEEK). Within a month, somebody had invented a Pilot version of Space Invaders. Now there are more than 100 different time-wasting applications for the device and 150 Web pages devoted to accessories. You can get a tide schedule, a biorhythms program and a ““Star Trek’’ application that makes the Pilot display look like a Tricorder. Beam me up, Scotty! There’s an accountant sitting next to me! There are gold styluses and titanium cases. A Japanese developer has invented a way to write Japanese characters. Graffiti itself has so caught on that Silicon Valley 6-year-olds sign their names in it. Yeah, but the Pilot still has nothing to help your golf swing.
