At 10:03 AM 11/08/2009, you wrote: >1. Question- detailed at end: Is there any inobvious reason why a netbook >seems a bad choice for this task. Is there a better newer brighter solution >that IO've missed? Personally, I would not go beyond USD 350-500 max for a netbook, as I can get all I want in something really portable for that price (1G easily expandable to 2G for $15, 160G, Bluetooth, Wifi, Webcam, Ethernet, 3 USB ports, XP and an SD card slot. (I use a very compact external USB CF reader for backing up DSLR photos). Skype (or I could use VOIP if I was hanging around for a while and wanted to bother setting up the server locations relative to where I was) phone calls alone make it worth lugging along in most situations. You're getting a couple of really nice enhancements for the extra $200 or so, but they also will make it a bit heavier and larger, and at some point you're just buying another (rather UNDERpowered) notebook. Installing software in your office from a DVD isn't a problem IME, just share the drive. Not having a DVD reader on the road is a bit of a PITA, but if you have a decent size USB flash drive it's generally easy to go to a hotel business center or internet cafe and copy stuff over, say if you need to install software for a new camera or other periperal (I always end up picking up something in Kowloon). I bring a Bluetooth mouse because I don't like touchpads (why do so many hotels insist on having glass-topped desks?) And vendors like to give out catalogs etc. on DVD/CD. For more intensive stuff, eg. on business trips, my main WUXGA (1920 x 1200) laptop is much more of a machine (much faster video, for example) and has almost all the programs I need on it (including heavy duty mechanical CAD and EDA software that would be just silly on an Atom). BTW, my Wind netbook gets pretty pokey when plugged into an external 1920 x 1200 display, but it will drive it (eg. for photo viewing). The long battery life Asus units are very nice too, almost the same feature set with standard long-life battery. Big batteries add to the weight and tend to stick out to the bottom significantly (or to the back), so you have to think carefully about the tradeoffs. Lighter netbooks are also harder to damage when your pack gets dropped or whatever. I've got one of each (too big and too small) for one netbook. >A light-weight portable solar panel of a few Watts capacity MAY be part of >trip complement depending on overall final packed weight and volume. Humm.. why? Plugs are everywhere, and you probably don't want to use it where direct sunlight is available. I'd guess the panels could break easily too. I do use the netbook to charge my cell phone, iPod and P&S camera, saving bringing those chargers-- just need the netbook and Nikon chargers. >Microsoft have poleaxed the display resolution on all netbooks with XP home >by requiring they be no more than 1024 x 600 to gain license rights to the >low cost XP home variant. XP Pro versions don't have this limitation and the >extra height makes a large difference on some pages. Nice, but the price and size starts to look more like a notebook. A $289 15.6" notebook is 'disposable' cheap and not all that much heavier (2.7kg) and the screen/keyboard are actually usable for serious work as is the processor, and it can play/burn DVDs etc. >The major tasks are 1. the assimilation, retention and possible display of >photos along the way with external HDD as backup) plus 2. WiFi / LAN >internet access where appropriate. I haven't tested CF card download speeds >yet but expect they may be slow by laptop speeds but not absolutely >terrible. I may be wrong. Backup etc. is a matter of choice, but I like SD cards, thumb drives and even a HDD-based iPod as options. I don't feel any need to have a 320G backup drive in my luggage, but they are certainly cheap enough (a little over $100), and powered by the USB. >Post trip use liable to be more of the same. These things are still pretty immature. It should be interesting to see where they are in another year or two-- partly they are being driven by the $100 laptop thinking rather than the $5000 ultra-portable notebook thinking. I'm thinking SHORT term on these things.. saving cell phone charges is justification enough, plus you can safeguard your personal information by not using a (possibly compromised) shared computer, and also able to access the net for information, e-mail and to alter reservations etc. can be very handy. Maybe buy another in a year or two-- they're sooo cheap. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist