Option two, carry one that did not cost very much. My most recent PC purchase was a used netbook on eBay for a bit under $200. Quite small and convenient. I carried it in a neoprene foam sleeve made from wetsuit material and carried that inside of a drybag. If you get one, you will need an external cd or dvd drive to install software, but you can leave that drive home when you travel.

I put a bit too much weight on top of it one day in the duffle, the weight depressed the top and the keys could touch the screen. The middle part of the screen showed a bit of wear from the key edges. So, be careful you don't pack any weight on top of it.

I used to work for a state natural resources agency. We had a lot of law enforcement personnel that used Toughbooks, but I do not know which models they used. I never asked them about their computers so I really know nothing about thier experiences with them. But, if they did not work I am sure that they would not have used them and they always seemed to have the funding needed to buy whatever they needed.

If you carry a laptop or netbook, you may be interested in using Google Talk and Google Voice. Where I have wi fi, I can use my netbook as if it was a speakerphone. But, I can only receive calls when I have the computer running the right software, so I only use it to call out, not receive calls. That software is supposed to be disabled when outside of the USA, but I did find that I could call my credit card company in the USA from Budapest Hungary last month when my credit card stopped working. I carry a separate mic and headphone unit that plugs into it for making phone calls.