Travel Ultra light or just light? Canadian retail woes, too.

[karen]

I'm looking for some advice.

I will be travelling to the Middle East and India for 3-4 weeks in February. I currently own a PPC and a humongous HP zd7000 17" luggable notebook.

I need to work during this trip, but I also hope to do some tourist stuff. I don't see carting around my 10 pound monster of a laptop during that time.

But I also don't see going ultra light and just depending on my PPC. I do sometimes travel for the weekend with just my Audiovox, but I always know that a safe PC is nearby. I don't think I can count on that for my trip. I have used Terminal services to reboot a server, but anything more and I'm pretty much too frustrated to use that tiny screen.

I own 3 working laptops and they are all giant desktop replacement things that don't transport well, so I was thinking of picking up some ultra light laptop, either something really tiny like a Toshiba Libretto or one of the tiny Sonys. The only problem is that being in Canada, I can find the Libretto but no other very small laptops.

The other hitch is that I'm in Calgary this week, so I was hoping to purchase this expensive thing here where there is no PST. I can wait, though, for my return to Toronto and pay the extra 8%, but I really don't want to unless I have to.

I've been to Future Shop and Best Buy in Toronto, but they have only the Libretto and some 15" laptops.

I won't really have time to order anything from the States because I can't count on anything clearing customs in time. It is possible I could order something and drive to the US to pick it up, I guess.

So I'm looking for advice on what brands and models I should be researching as well as what retailers I can visit in Calgary or Toronto to purchase something.

Oh, and Jason, if you have some review item that fits the bill, I'd love to cart it all over the world to test it out..... :lol:

[karen]

Ok, I've made my way to they Sunridge Futureshop and they have two ultra portables:

TOshiba Libretto - this tiny screen is really small, but high resolution. THe keyboard is SO small that I can't really type on it. $1800

Averatec ? who is this? 10" ultra notebook. Readable, the keyboard works well. The display is not that great, but it is readible and fairly bright. $1500

I wish I were better at deciding these things.

[Mitch D]

Ok, I've made my way to they Sunridge Futureshop and they have two ultra portables:

TOshiba Libretto - this tiny screen is really small, but high resolution. THe keyboard is SO small that I can't really type on it. $1800

Averatec ? who is this? 10" ultra notebook. Readable, the keyboard works well. The display is not that great, but it is readible and fairly bright. $1500

I wish I were better at deciding these things.

I like the libretto but the Avertec has a larger keyboard. I have a friend that has a 12" Avertec and has had only minor issues with it. One caused by his daughter stepping on the closed case and breaking the screen and the other has to do with the power plug connection on the main board having a poor soder connection (actually I think he wacked it against the wall turning around at his last meeting), other than that he really likes it.

If your still in Calgary I would recommend checking out London Drugs as well, I work at the South Trail Crossing location and I have one or two Sony's that might meet your needs as well.

[karen]

I like the libretto but the Avertec has a larger keyboard. I have a friend that has a 12" Avertec and has had only minor issues with it. One caused by his daughter stepping on the closed case and breaking the screen and the other has to do with the power plug connection on the main board having a poor soder connection (actually I think he wacked it against the wall turning around at his last meeting), other than that he really likes it.

If your still in Calgary I would recommend checking out London Drugs as well, I work at the South Trail Crossing location and I have one or two Sony's that might meet your needs as well.

I brought the Averatec home to see if I thought it would work for me. So far so good. I can't get over the white keyboard and lid wrap. It's not bad in any way, just so different. It will be confused with an Apple for certain.

I am having a bit of trouble typing, but I'm assuming that this is do to a slightly cramped keyboard. I'm still typing at my normal speed, though.

I really thought Libretto was a nifty computer. But I tried for more than half an hour to type on its miniscule keyboard and it just didn't work for me. I'm a touch typist and there was no way my fingers were going to make it. A man who was a hunt and peck guy was able to do about what he said he normally typed.

The FS guy did tell me that ever one they've sold has come back. That explains why they only had open box devices available.

The Libretto has many more useful features - bluetooth, DVD writer, higher resolution screen, etc. But I didn't see the point in buying it as a laptop if I couldn't use the keyboard. But still, a very cool device.

Now I have to decide if I'm going to keep this Avertec or look at a Sony. I'm sure the Sony will have more sizzle and more features, but I'm thinking from what I've read that the Sony will be about $1k more than this little ultralight.

Mitch, I had forgotton about London Drugs. Where is South Trail Crossing?

Karen