After less than a month in my home, this little beauty has already processed digital photos at a charity fundraiser, produced the first draft of a book, created two sets of business cards, printed 15 sheets of color photos, impressed my parents and made 25 resume and cover letter sets.

It's fast (Pentium III processor), light (about 5 pounds), the price was right ($2000) and it came with a free color plate option (I chose the purple) to make it look fresh and lively.

The battery lasts a surprisingly long time, so I've been able to get to work in whatever location strikes me, without fear of quick battery death. It does wonders for my productivity to be able to escape attention-sapping TV sets and household distractions.

The disk drive and floppy drive easily swap in and out as need arises. To me, this means schlepping fewer wires and lighter components. The whole kit fits in a backpack, with enough leftover space for a couple changes of clothes -- perfect for a weekend away.

Because I'd read good things about the products, and Dell offered a monthly financing package, I went with them over my second choice, Gateway.

I ordered directly from the Dell phone line, so I customized a bit, rejecting the Microsoft Office option, and opting instead for a swappable internal Zip drive. This choice actually netted me a $10 savings on the total price. I also attached a color HP Deskjet 952C printer to the package. Since they were running a sale, the whole deal still came out just over $2000.

Looking back, I might have gone with the 48X CD drive instead of the 24X, but this option is still open to me, if I decide the 24x is holding me back.

Now, I'm looking forward to finishing up my book, making a family calendar and editing a short digital video film. And it all seems within grasp, now that I have my own notebook.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 2030
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 601-700
Screen Size: 14"
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 9-12