6. A Notebook For Travel, Right?

After that brief rebuild interlude, it was time to take my new baby on the road. Her wonderful built-in wireless made a refreshing change from the PCI card I had been using on my dear old Toshiba, which I had to keep an eye on lest I snapped the thing off on something.

I was all around the house without a wire in sight. But the real test came on a drab Monday morning when I had to make a short trip to Londoninium, and I figured out in short order just how much that widescreen and media centre would really cost me.

When one is carrying a notebook briefcase one can really begin to appreciate whether or not a notebook computer is an ultra portable lightweight one or a crippled donkey. I did within all of about... err, five minutes I think it was.

If there's one thing I regret about having gotten this computer, it is the weight. However, this is offset against the fact that I got to watch an episode of Stargate at 20,000 feet on a relatively wide screen. Of course it ate the battery up in fairly short order, but that's what the second one is for, and here's a little secret to the unschooled - the first thing you look for in any building after coming in the door are the power outlets.

Sure, most battery operated computers are meant to be portable, but you don't need battery all the time - all you need is the AC power cord in your carrying case and you're fine. With a normal desktop there's a big box and a big screen. A notebook computer is the size of a small tray, screen and all. Just because it has to be wired up does not make it unworkable.