I realise it's quite useless to ask others to decide for me, but I figure hearing some opinions won't hurt.
I'm looking to buy an ultra-portable laptop. In terms of form factors, I've used a Psion 5mx, which is the smallest comfortable system to do actual work on; I've had a Samsung Izzi Pro handheld PC, which was a tablet form factor, and quite decent except that it ran Windows CE 2.11. I'm now using an IBM Thinkpad X22 laptop (a used one I bought on eBay a few months ago).
I have quite a few desired features in the device I want.
I do a lot of commuting by bus, and carry the device with me in my bag. In general I'd like to have it with me as much as I can. So I want it:
- Small, so it'd fit easily in any bag, and also be comfortable to work with in the relatively cramped bus seats. The 5mx was great in this respect -- I could even carry it in a jacket pocket or on my belt. The Izzi Pro was quite decent although naturally less portable. The X22 is a bit too large at times. I have to consider which bag to take to fit it in, and it's not always comfortable to have on me on the bus (seat space varies).
- Light, so it's comfortable to carry in that bag, and to take out of it. The lighter the better.
I've also travelled abroad a couple times per year over the last years, so in addition to portability, which is helpful here too, long battery life is helpful for international flights.
Another consideration is that I want it to be a real computer. Though what I did with the 5mx and Izzi Pro was mainly word processing and reading, I'm sure (after using the X22) that I want a real Windows computer, to have real compatibility with everything. I also know that I'll use extra features if I have them. In particular I felt with the X22 that the lack of optical drive (on the base unit, which is what I carry with me) prevented me from trying anything I buy on a trip. It'd also be nice if I could play City of Heroes on the machine.
I'm considering two ultra-portable units now. Both run a 1.2GHz Pentium M on an Intel 915 chipset, which is probably the best I could get at this form factor.
Panasonic W4: This is about the size of the X22 (its size is 268 x 210 mm), but 400g lighter (weighs 1.2kg), including a DVD writer. So this basically gives me the X22 form factor with an optical drive and better hardware. Price for the spec I'd buy would be around $2500 (www.conics.net had a much better price a few days ago, but raised it by about $400 since then).
Fujitsu LifeBook P1510D: This is a smaller device (236 x 167 mm), perhaps a bit lighter (1kg standard, but I'm going to buy the extended battery). No drive, smaller disk and less RAM, but price is just $1700 for the configuration I'll take.
Pros and cons:
Panasonic pros:
- An optical drive
- A little more screen real estate (1024x768 vs. 1024x600)
- 1GB RAM configuration (upgrade from 512MB costs $300 and not $1500 as with the Fujitsu), which is quite needed these days, especially with integrated graphics.
- Tough construction
Panasonic cons:
- Size
- Uses touchpad and not thumb controller. I've always found touchpads harder to use.
- More expensive
Fujitsu pros (not mentioned in the Panasonic pros/cons):
- Tablet format. This might allow me to use it as a comfortable e-book reader (I have a lot of e-books). Having a touch screen is also nice for things like solitaire.
- More secure (fingerprint sensor and lock)
So, any opinions?
I'm looking to buy an ultra-portable laptop. In terms of form factors, I've used a Psion 5mx, which is the smallest comfortable system to do actual work on; I've had a Samsung Izzi Pro handheld PC, which was a tablet form factor, and quite decent except that it ran Windows CE 2.11. I'm now using an IBM Thinkpad X22 laptop (a used one I bought on eBay a few months ago).
I have quite a few desired features in the device I want.
I do a lot of commuting by bus, and carry the device with me in my bag. In general I'd like to have it with me as much as I can. So I want it:
- Small, so it'd fit easily in any bag, and also be comfortable to work with in the relatively cramped bus seats. The 5mx was great in this respect -- I could even carry it in a jacket pocket or on my belt. The Izzi Pro was quite decent although naturally less portable. The X22 is a bit too large at times. I have to consider which bag to take to fit it in, and it's not always comfortable to have on me on the bus (seat space varies).
- Light, so it's comfortable to carry in that bag, and to take out of it. The lighter the better.
I've also travelled abroad a couple times per year over the last years, so in addition to portability, which is helpful here too, long battery life is helpful for international flights.
Another consideration is that I want it to be a real computer. Though what I did with the 5mx and Izzi Pro was mainly word processing and reading, I'm sure (after using the X22) that I want a real Windows computer, to have real compatibility with everything. I also know that I'll use extra features if I have them. In particular I felt with the X22 that the lack of optical drive (on the base unit, which is what I carry with me) prevented me from trying anything I buy on a trip. It'd also be nice if I could play City of Heroes on the machine.
I'm considering two ultra-portable units now. Both run a 1.2GHz Pentium M on an Intel 915 chipset, which is probably the best I could get at this form factor.
Panasonic W4: This is about the size of the X22 (its size is 268 x 210 mm), but 400g lighter (weighs 1.2kg), including a DVD writer. So this basically gives me the X22 form factor with an optical drive and better hardware. Price for the spec I'd buy would be around $2500 (www.conics.net had a much better price a few days ago, but raised it by about $400 since then).
Fujitsu LifeBook P1510D: This is a smaller device (236 x 167 mm), perhaps a bit lighter (1kg standard, but I'm going to buy the extended battery). No drive, smaller disk and less RAM, but price is just $1700 for the configuration I'll take.
Pros and cons:
Panasonic pros:
- An optical drive
- A little more screen real estate (1024x768 vs. 1024x600)
- 1GB RAM configuration (upgrade from 512MB costs $300 and not $1500 as with the Fujitsu), which is quite needed these days, especially with integrated graphics.
- Tough construction
Panasonic cons:
- Size
- Uses touchpad and not thumb controller. I've always found touchpads harder to use.
- More expensive
Fujitsu pros (not mentioned in the Panasonic pros/cons):
- Tablet format. This might allow me to use it as a comfortable e-book reader (I have a lot of e-books). Having a touch screen is also nice for things like solitaire.
- More secure (fingerprint sensor and lock)
So, any opinions?
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