Whether you're taking your laptop along for business or pleasure, here are some new products for easing the schlepping. All items have been tested by the author.
By JUDI DASH
Published October 23, 2005
MIGHTY MINI: The trend toward ever-larger laptops has become a pain in the neck for those who have to haul them around. Thank goodness Toshiba has taken pity and introduced a gem of a full-featured mini-notebook.
The new 2.2-pound Libretto U105 measures 8.5 inches by 7 inches by 1.5 inches thick, with a 7.2-inch diagonal screen. It comes with these features:
A battery-conserving Intel Pentium M Processor, 60 GB hard drive, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, 510 MB standard DDR memory, integrated wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, two USB 2.0 ports, firewire, Ethernet and modem ports, and a slew of graphics. It also has a DVD docking station for burning CDs or DVDs, or for watching movies on the go (battery life is up to 5 hours).
The keyboard is small but manageable. The price is big, but think what you'll save on chiropractor bills.
Toshiba Libretto U105 mini-notebook computer is about $2,100, depending on configuration. Call toll-free 1-877-789-7158; www.toshiba.com
BEST PORT-ABLE: Laptops have become so powerful that many owners use them as desktop replacements, plugging them in to external mice, printers, DVD players, digital cameras and other peripherals, sometimes on the road. Hubs with supplementary USB ports for connecting accessories can be bulky affairs, but not the new Super Mini USB four-port hub from Targus.
About the size of a matchbook, the hub has a fast USB 2.0 chipset and a unique Y cable that provides extra power when needed, without the weight of an AC adapter. It is plug and play; no driver installation required.
Super Mini USB 2.0, 4-Port Hub is $29.99. For more information, call toll-free 1-877-482-7487; www.targus.com
COMPUTER CUSHION: Say you have a favorite business bag for traveling, but need a padded computer sleeve for protecting your laptop in the larger case. Shoreline makes a great selection of zippered, stretch, neoprene laptop jackets that fit computers like an outer skin.
Narrow elastic corners inside the sleeves hold the computer in place so the sleeve can be left on while the machine is in use. The Full-Access model has a zippered back flap that allows port access for charging the computer and connecting peripherals.
Available with or without handles, in sizes for 10.6-inch to 17-inch laptops, the cases take up little more space than the computer, and weigh less than a pound.
Neoprene laptop sleeves start at $29.99 with handles, $19.99 without. For more information, call toll-free 1-888-888-3322; www.shorelinecases.com
STAND AND DELIVER: When your laptop comes home to roost for a while - or when you're setting it up at a vacation home - save your neck and shoulders from crimping by getting the screen up to eye level with the ingenious Laptop Desktop USB 2.0 from Kensington.
Much lighter than the typical stand, and a smart alternative to hooking up an external monitor, the silver plastic Laptop Desktop sets up quickly, taking up little more space than the laptop itself. Just slide the keyboard part of the computer into the unit's tilted padded slot, adjust the height using the innovative notch system on the side of the stand, fiddle with the screen for the right angle, and voila: ergonomically correct computing.
The stand comes with a built-in, four-port USB 2.0 hub, AV power adapter, and built-in paper holder.
Laptop Desktop USB 2.0 is $79.99. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-235-6708; www.kensington.com
DRIVE, SHE SAID: What with downloading movies, gazillions of photos and other memory-hogging files, you're likely to need extra digital storage space. Thanks to Seagate, you can get a whopping 100 GBs of it in the Portable External Hard Drive, which is about the size of a deck of cards, and weighs less than a pound.
That translates into as many as 25, two-hour DVD-quality movies; 1,560 hours of music; 25,000 digital photos; or thousands of business or personal files. In most cases, putting the unit into operation is as easy as plugging it into your USB port (some older systems may require driver installation).
A 120 GB unit with optional firewire connectivity is due out soon.
Seagate's 100 GB Portable Hard Drive lists for $270, but is available for less online. For more information, call toll-free 1-877-271-3285; www.seagate.com
- Freelance writer Judi Dash lives in Beachwood, Ohio.
