By Michelle Johnson, Globe Correspondent, 07/29/99

Leave home without it, as long as you'll have Web access at your destination. Free Web-based services that cater to business travelers are aiming to get you to leave your laptop behind when you hit the road. Here's a look at a few:

MagicalDesk
Forget the goofy name. MagicalDesk (www.magicaldesk.com) is not a kid's computer game. Use it to set up a virtual desktop where you can stash documents, contact lists, bookmarks, and other work-related stuff. There's not much that's truly magical here, but if you're looking for a basic suite of mostly-free services, MagicalDesk is definitely worth a look.

How it works: Fill out a form to create your account, which includes a free e-mail address, calendar, address book, to-do list, and 5MB of storage space for your Web bookmarks and other files. This sets up your desktop with all the features you've chosen displayed on a single Web page that's easy to navigate. One offering that sort of falls into the ''magical'' category is the MagicalViewer, which lets you view files created in some 250 applications, even if you don't have the original program. You can also share documents and your calendar with colleagues here.

The catch: Premium services cost extra. They include additional hard disk storage space ($5 a month for 20MB, $10 for 50MB), five addition e-mail accounts ($10 a month), and if you want to continue using the MagicalViewer, which you get free for the first three months, you'll need to plunk down $5 every month.

Tip: Even if you're toting a laptop or electronic organizer, use your storage space to upload critical files as a backup when you're on the road. Sure, you could use floppies. But if you're the victim of a theft, those floppies may walk off along with your laptop.

Visto Briefcase
Visto Briefcase (www.briefcase.com) also offers one-stop shopping for workers on the road, putting free e-mail and other services under one Web address. Briefcase adds a feature to its suite called ''Click2Dial'' that lets you place a phone call by clicking on an entry in your Visto Briefcase address book. Click multiple entries to dial up a conference call. This little whiz-bang feature will cost you 15 cents per minute, per participant on the call.

How it works: Fill out a form, get a free calendar, to-do list, e-mail account (you@briefcase.com), address book, and 15MB of storage space for your stuff. Create a password-protected Visto Group where you can swap files and information with far-flung buddies via a message board, group calendar, and member directory.

The catch: Price of admission is the usual parade of blinking banner ads. For some reason they seem even more annoying here because the design of the rest of the site is so understated.

Tip: If you've compiled a great list of browser bookmarks that you'd like to have access to from any computer, upload it to a service such as Visto Briefcase.

Anyday.com
While it lacks the free e-mail address to qualify as one-stop-shopping, Anyday.com (www.anyday.com) is worth a mention here for its snazzy look and feel, and ease of use. Uploading a contact list with 160 entries from Microsoft Outlook Express 98 was a snap. Other formats supported include Microsoft Outlook 98, Lotus Organizer 4.1 and 5.0, Symantec Act 4.0, and Corex Cardscan. Unlike similar services, Anyday hasn't yet introduced a feature that lets you synchronize your calendar or contact list with your desktop or hand-held computer. They say it's on the way.

How it works: Fill out a form to enter your particulars, get a free calendar, contact manager, and to-do list. Attractive design and easy-to-navigate screens make this site very pleasant to use. If they'd add an e-mail account, Anyday.com would move to the top of the must-have list for the virtual office.

The catch: None, really.

Tip: If you live by your contact manager, keep a copy here.

Online Tech Support
Oh, nooooo!

You're sitting in a hotel room trying to get the program on your laptop to open a file you need for a meeting tomorrow. It's not working and your tech guys back at the home office have long since departed for their own homes. Who you gonna call?

Well, if you can get line, try free tech support on the Web.

www.pcguide.com - There's a lot of information here. Cut to the chase and click Troubleshooting and Repair Guide, then The Troubleshooting Expert, then Troubleshooting Specific Components to see if your problem and possible solutions are listed there.

www.supporthelp.com - Click the newsgroups link for a list of on-line forums where you can post a message for help.

www.macfixit.com - If you're grappling with a Mac attack, try the forum link here.

And finally, don't forget that many hardware and software companies offer free support areas on their Web sites where you can post questions or download fixes.

Michelle Johnson, a former Boston Globe editor, is an Internet consultant. Her e-mail address is mijohn@mail-me.com.