Say you manage a construction site and need a rugged laptop computer. Rather than spend $3,000-$5,000 for a ruggedized laptop computer and locking pedestal stand for your pickup truck, Ford offers an in-dash computer with Internet access and wireless keyboard for $1,195. "I bet it's the first time you've ever seen Google running on the dashboard of a vehicle," says Bill Frykman, Ford Work Solutions business development manager. The package also includes remote access, Bluetooth, and Garmin-developed navigation - in other words, a Happy Meal of Technology for less than the cost of integrated in-dash navigation alone. This Ford Work Solutions system is available on Ford F-Series pickups, E-Series (Econoline) vans, and the Ford Transit Connect mini delivery van. The only downsides are that you can't have Ford Sync, the industry-leading music and Bluetooth system, and the screen seems small for doing serious work. Ford says the center-dash location precludes a bigger screen, at least for now.

Ford partnered with a half-dozen companies to create the In-Dash Computer (it has no other name). Magneti Marelli had overall responsibility. The operating system is Windows CE (part of the Microsoft Auto initiative). Sprint provides (sells) the broadband data-only connection. LogMeIn provides its popular remote access to your office or home office desktop so you can, say, create an invoice in Quickbooks. HP sells a Bluetooth printer for printing documents in the field.

I got a demo from Ford execs. It all works as advertised. But the screen seems too small for doing some of the things Ford talks about, such as viewing a PDF document without a lot of zooming and panning. One press release talks about engineers in the field being able to view and edit "graphically rich" blueprints (is there any other kind?). Right. By rearranging the buttons and bezel, it appears as if the screen could be 8 inches, maybe 9 inches diagonal. It's disappointing that the front panel SD slot and USB jack are only for the Garmin maps and data, respectively, not music. Still, this is a big step forward as Ford recognizes that mobile computing takes on many forms.

Actually, I have seen mobile Internet on other cars. It's on BMW's European version of the 7 Series and, unlike Ford's offering, can be used while the vehicle is moving. But the price of a BMW dwarfs anything in Ford's truck line. Ford's impact is making useful technology available at mainstream prices.