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Originally posted by VERTiG0 While we're on the subject of computer shit, how do you all feel about Transmeta Efficeon processors? I'm looking at a sub-laptop to replace my Jornada 820 HPC Pro and the Sharp Actius MM20 with the high capacity battery and external CDRW/DVD drive seems to fit the bill. It'll be used for basic menial office tasks for school... CPU Transmeta Efficeon TM8600 Processor - 1.0GHz Operating System Windows XP Home Edition Memory 512MB DDR SDRAM Display 10.4" XGA TFT LCD (1024 x 768) Hard Drive 20GB Optical Drive External Option PCMCIA Type II x 1 I/O Ports USB 2.0 (x 2), Audio out, VGA out, connection cradle connector Modem PC Card Modem (included) LAN 10 Base-T / 100 Base-TX, 802.11b/g Wireless Battery Life Approx. 2.9 hrs, Approx 9.0 hrs with optional high-capacity battery Weight 2.0 lbs

This might be of interest to you.

Dell Introduces $999 XPS Notebook


Dell has added a low cost XPS branded notebook to its product line, the XPS M140, to complement the XPS M170 introduced in September. This "budget" minded laptop has a 14.1" widescreen display and weighs in at 5.5 pounds. Starting at $999, it is a far cry from the high-end, desktop replacement M170, which starts at $2699.

Stock configuration for the new laptop includes a Pentium M 740 operating at 1.73GHz, 512MB DDR2 RAM, 40GB hard disk, Intel integrated graphics, a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive, 5-in-1 card reader, and integrated 802.11g wireless. By comparison, the M170 offers a 17" widescreen display and high end graphics such as NVIDIA's GeForce Go 6800 Ultra and 7800 GTX.

The XPS M140 is available for order now and will begin shipping in November.

Source - PC World

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12" or less, my screen criteria is. Under 4lbs full weight too.

I'm skirting a niche market here.

Last edited by VERTiG0 on Nov-10-2005 at 07:12

If your looking for sub notebooks you really only have a few viable options.

I personally liked the Fujitsu 7010D, mostly because it was the only 10" screen (at the time) that offered 1280x768 instead of 1024x768. Desktop real estate matters to me and the widescreen format was nice. Gets about 3.5 to 4 with the standard battery, and goes about 8 with the 2nd battery. Nice thing is it comes with an internal CD/DVD drive, so if you need it, no lugging around an external. I liked this one so much I ended up buying it. 3.3 lbs means it's decently light. Sony makes a few that go feature to feature with the Fujitsu, but at the time lack of upgradability pointed me to the Fuji, along with the lower price tag.

If you want more exotic and portable, you can go with a Toshiba Libretto, came out a little while ago. It's got a 7" screen and is 2.3 lbs. Doesn't come with internal optical drive, but at that size, it's really not the point, is it? Does 1280x768, but if you don't like small text, don't bother. Keyboard was a little smallish for me, definitely felt cramped, but that's more preference than anything else. I'm sure I woulda gotten used to it if I tried it out a little more. Interesting form factor anyways, so worth it to take a look.

You could also go the way of the OQO for an ultimate portability solution, built in keyboard and such. Not sure if that's what you were going for, but it's a pretty slick design and it's apparently pretty decent at running basic things, but not sure the 800x600 res would be a turn off or the limited upgrade path, or it's suitability for school, since I'm not entirely sure of the extended battery capabilities.

If this is for school, I'm not sure if you looked at tablets, or if it's even a need for you. Nothing in the 10" and smaller that I've seen, well, except a Fujitsu quasi tablet, but regardless, point I'm trying to make is that if your note taking requires any non standard stuff in terms of typing, ie math, physics, classes with tons of diagrams, etc. then a tablet might be a better fit. Toshiba makes a 12" tablet that does 1400x1050 which means that your writing will actually be pretty close to normal size, instead of those tablets that run lower resolutions, which makes it feel like you're writing with a crayon. Comes in around 3.5-4 lbs, so it might be something worth your time as well.

Anyways, hope this helps.