We are not recommending any notebooks now:

We are still researching notebooks, but have not been able to find the right one. Check back with us from time to time. There are some newer notebooks coming that offer price, performance and reliability that we can stand behind. We had hoped to find something sooner, but we are still waiting..  However, we have been looking into this for some time and still feel that Notebooks do not offer good value yet. 

We suggest that if you absolutely must get a notebook machine that you purchase the machine directly from either an on-line retailer like Dell or a 'big box' store such as Future Shop or Costco.  

Why do we recommend against notebooks? 

Cost -- It costs considerably more to buy an adequate notebook than a desktop machine.  We do not feel that the premium payed for notebook devices is justified by their utility, except under special circumstances. 

Features -- Notebooks have improved over the years, but they are still inferior to desktop machines.  Desktop machines are faster, have better keyboards, larger screens, larger hard disks, better multimedia capability, etc. 

Usability -- Notebooks are still somewhat awkward to use.  The screens are smaller, the keyboards more awkward, things you need like diskette drives and proper mouse support call for additional devices which need to be attached when you start them up.  Truly portable machines lack the power and features to be usable.   Usable machines tend to be so heavy once you add the case, external devices, extra battery etc, you are lugging around more than 20 pounds.  Add a briefcase to that and you're not too 'portable'. 

Instability -- Notebooks have still not had all the bugs worked out.   They are often physically fragile.  Their batteries usually will not last long enough to really use them without power.  Batteries also quickly lose their ability to hold a charge.  Device replacements and repairs are problematic.  Notebook hardware tends to be proprietary and changes very rapidly.  This means that repairs will be more costly and be more difficult to obtain. 

We continue our search.  In fact, our company (Trantor) has been attempting to find a reasonable notebook to sell since 1993.  We believe it is possible to build a reasonable notebook alternative, but we have yet to see a notebook that we felt offered appropriate value for money.  Please do check our site from time to time.  This has been an ongoing issue for us.  As soon as a suitable product is available, we will post an announcement promptly.