If the only thing you do with your laptop is check out the ETS forum, then here's an interesting upcoming product:

http://event.asus.com/eeepc/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC

Very light (2 lbs) and a small form factor (7 inch screen) for $199 USD. Wireless-b/g, flash hard drive, linux based OS, 4 USB 2.0 ports, 3 hours battery life. It is viewed partly as a response to the XO-1 notebook from the not-for-profit One Laptop per Child initiative. A very "democratic" laptop anyway.

What do you think?

Frankie

I like the idea, and the price, but I'm not sure that these old eyes could handle a 7" screen. And I would probably have to hunt and peck with a pencil to type anything...

Motorola Q. is my EDC... e-mail, websites, etc.

Can even hookup to laptop to get on internet.

Looks like my kind of laptop, my currant laptop has too many bells and whistles for me to use or understand. Portable and easy to use sounds good to me.

The $100 laptop currently in development for school children in developing nations looks really interesting, almost perfect for outdoor use especially as it has been designed to overcome the constant problem of lack of availability of mains electricity supply as one of its main design goals. It also appears to be designed to be rugged and best of all no Microsoft so it has an elegant and efficient opensource OS.

Details available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6908946.stm

Speaking of laptops, PDAs, and so on...

I think it would be neat if you could load google earth and pre-load the area you'll be in so you can view it at maximum resolution without being connected to the internet.

Combine that with a GPS, and you'd be able to check out what's around you for miles. Imagine if James Kim had something like that...

How do you like your Q? I'm up for a new phone this month and was thinking about one. I need a decent calendar since all I have on the office laptop is lotus notes whose calendar is useless.

Hi Burncycle,

I think Bushnell has come out with a new GPS this year that you can load Satellite photos onto and use like a map in the field with your position indicated on it.

I have not tried one yet but find them very interesting.

Mike

I looked at the $100 laptop and it sounds great, but it's not being sold on the consumer market, is it? We wouldn't be able to buy it.

They will be on ebay shortly after their release