After many months of consideration, I finally decided to invest in new laptop. I spent quite a bit of time reviewing various makes and models and determined the best style for me would be something in the ultra-portable class.

My old laptop is a power-hog weighing in at over 7 pounds and with the power supply, carrying it around for too long is simply not an option. My goal was to find something with an acceptable battery life that was still very lightweight.

I narrowed down my choices to the Sony VAIO VGN-TXN25N and the Dell Latitude D420. Both were around 3 pounds with a widescreen monitor and battery life averaging 7 hours. The biggest drawback for the Dell was the external optical drive. It did not have an internal option. While I don’t burn or view disks often, I wanted the option to be available should the need arise without toting around yet another piece of equipment.

So, my decision was made. The Sony VAIO was the best notebook for me. I did some comparison shopping and Amazon had the best deal, plus offered overnight shipping at a great rate. I placed the order and waited patiently the next day for the big brown truck. Naturally, the UPS delivery came while I was out picking the kids up from school. I called the number on the info notice and arranged to pick the box up at the distribution center that night. I had my new VAIO in hand by 7:30 pm the day after I ordered. Not bad - not bad at all.

I came home, plugged it in and was on my way to a new, portable work experience. I’ll let you know how things go.

Tags: Computers, Shopping