Foo - More than an iPhone, less than a Laptop...help

I know alot of people on this board are into computers, so I hope someone can help me, since I'
m not. Also, in a [fairly] anonymous forum, people have no shame in refuting others points. Therefore, I pose a challenge to you all to help me select what fits my needs. I am a college student and I work. I bike everywhere and fly fairly frequently. I have access to fantastic desktops, and i personally have a pretty ncie laptop. I would like internet access that is more, well, accessible for my schedule. I want something I can comfortably carry on my back with all of the essentials on a daily basis, and I don't know what fits that niche. An iPhone is great, but my fingers have a hard time with the keys to type, the screen is small, and i already have a cell phone. I dont use it much, but I have one. And the laptop is great, but it is too bulky to carry everywhere, however it is a fairly large one. recently I've seen alot of more portable computers on the market, I believe Lenovo has a good one, and see Dell has an Inspiron Mini 9. Even a small macbook would fit my size credentials, but here is the hardplace - I don't know boo about computers or memory or processors. All I need is something I can use to access the web, word processer, and maybe 5 gigs of music (my itunes says i have 20 now, and i only need 1/4 of that on this type of computer). I recently found out that the mac operating system is fairly easy to use, and I've also discovered that vista is a piece of crap. Anyone with experience in computers that can make a good recommendation, please help. thanks in advance

Blackberry Curve + MicroSD card.

i think they are called "netbook" computers? and also, how does linux stack up?

i think they are called "netbook" computers? and also, how does linux stack up?

Linux is Linux.

If you really need a lapper, just get an Asus Eee PC (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220362).

Linux is Linux.

If you really need a lapper, just get an Asus Eee PC (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220362).

Friend of mine got that.. Pretty neat.

If you are strictly looking for a computer to sate your internet addiction (just kidding :p), I also recommend that you look into the Asus EEE PC. It's VERY small, VERY portable and low-powered precisely for that need. It comes pre-installed with Linux, but if you don't like it (which you probably will, if you just want internet), you can install Windows XP on it (it's not optimized for Windows Vista).

However, if you want a laptop that offers more room for productivity, I recommend the Lenovo Thinkpad X or some of HP's smaller offerings. They aren't as small as EEE, but they are small enough to (hopefully, in your case) not be a burden to carry. If you don't mind going a bit older, I recommend the IBM Thinkpad i series, which was short-lived and superceded by the X line, but should also fit your requirements (at a lower price point as well). The Thinkpad T series is also light, small and VERY well-crafted, but it might be out of your budget (unless, again, you go older. The 600 series preceded the T series).

There are also more extreme options, such as using a Blackberry (HORRIBLE Internet device, at least in my experience) or other mobile device...but you already ruled that out.

Good luck in your search!

(BTW: I'm not sure if you're in the NYC area, but if you are, I can help you find a budget computer off of Craigslist for much less than retail, if you're interested.)

Linux is Linux.

If you really need a lapper, just get an Asus Eee PC (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220362).

I thought about going that route, but didn't want to order something I had not seen. So I went the safe route and just got a new Toshiba laptop with Windows XP.

Really wish I could have checked out the Asus though since my desktops at home are all Linux.

I got my wife an eeepc 701 after she complained about the size and heft of her Dell laptop. She takes it EVERYWHERE in her purse. Great for checking email and news pretty much anywhere we go. :) I even RDP/VNC to my home and office computers.

Dell has the new Mini9 out...

Linux is Linux.

If you really need a lapper, just get an Asus Eee PC (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220362).

first thing I thought of when I saw the thread title.

I think the Dell Mini 9 looks interesting, except for the 20 GB limit on the SSD. The Lenovo S10 netbook is due in October, and with a 10" screen, XP, 1 GB RAM and a 160 GB hard drive for $ 449, it sounds like it would be good for my business travel.

I think the Dell Mini 9 looks interesting, except for the 20 GB limit on the SSD....Many of the Intel Atom subnotebooks are intriguing to me as well, but you aren't limited to a 20GB SSD. Most can be replaced with up to a 64GB SSD or a conventional harddrive.