3Com lifted the curtain Tuesday on Audrey, a countertop appliance designed to give gadget-happy families a quick way to surf the Web and shoot off email.

The Net appliance with an 8-inch touch screen is the first in a family of such devices that 3Com dubs Ergo. The $499 Net appliance offers email access, a calendar, an address book, and a knob for dialing among several preset Web sites. Among the preloaded sites are ABCNews.com, AccuWeather.com, ESPN.com, CBS MarketWatch.com for financial news and Mr. Showbiz for entertainment. Audrey uses the QNX operating system, mixed with elements of the Palm operating system, allowing the device to sync directly to up to two Palm or Handspring handhelds. "One way to think of this is the Palm of the home," said Julie Shimer, vice president of 3Com's consumer business. "We want to deliver an enjoyable Internet experience in the nerve center of the home. In most homes, that's the kitchen." Although Audrey can go in a living room, it is designed with the kitchen in mind. The unit, which comes in colors like linen and sunshine, is somewhat spill-resistant. Its outer case has a finish that can be cleaned with a sponge, although the green, scrubby side should probably be avoided. The touch screen, however, should be cleaned with products aimed at computers. Analysts praised some of Audrey's innovations but questioned the high price tag.