Leglessbird Gadgets

I have been looking for a truly affordable (cheaper than a smartphone), light-weight (same weight as a magazine), long battery life (3+ hours) lap-top that is powerful and full of useful software and features. The reasons that I need this, I suspect many of you have the same need, are as follow:
- I am a highly mobile modern professional who needs to have access to my computer for work and leisure and with my own customized and working environment

- I am a frequent traveller for work and leisure who face the dilama of either risk damaging the not-so-light/expensive laptop taken with me all the time (including hiking and it's pretty tiring too) or risk losing the expensive laptop left in the no-star hotel in some cities. Also, my holiday photos are too precious to get lost, I need to back them up asap.

- I am highly security conscious (you should be too) that I don't use public computers such as those at internet cafe, I do not trust these public computer with my web-email account, let alone banking sites. Thus I need a light convenient solution that I can bring to some cafe and get WiFi access (I got WiFi access even from Laos) from my own computer (with anti-virus and else protection).

Anyway, who will say 'No' to a cheap, light-weight solution anyway. Ok ok, the screen and the keyboard are a bit small, but nonetheless function pretty well.

What that means is I need to have
- Customization: My personal address books, calendar, website bookmarks, communication tools such as instant messengers and skype.
- Interaction: I need to receive and send emails, access to websites for information, making travel arrangement, updating blogs, read and edit documents, spreadsheet and powerpoint slides. I need to view, rename and backup travel photos and videos that I take during my holiday.
- Applications: Email, Internet browser, Office applications, photo processing tools etc.

My solution? ASUS EEE-PC with a price tag of only HKD 2,998 (USD 390). Even comes with a web-cam. The catch for most people, it runs on Linux (installing window XP is possible with extra cost), it doesn't have bluetooth, SSD harddisk is only 4Gb (but then you can get a 8Gb HCSD, yes it comes with a HCSD card slot). Everything else pretty much work from the get-go, email, browser, multi-instant messengers, open office, skype, web-cam, WiFi, LAN, media-player, photo viewer/processing, USB devices (mouse, keyboard, external harddisk, memory card readers). When connected to external LCD display, it supports up to 1024x768 resolution.

EEE-PC is now my best travel companion, beside my wife that is. I take it out with me for work when I am not at home or in an office.