Mobile Computing: Notebook Alternatives

NOTEBOOKS & ACCESSORIES

Call for Reader Input: Best and Worst Airplanes for Notebook Users

As I mentioned in this week's feature, a Delta flight I recently took with a notebook was exceedingly uncomfortable. The coach-class seat was cramped and the seatback tray table wasn't adjustable, so I couldn't slide it when the woman in front of me reclined. The result was that I spent much of the flight with my notebook on my lap, my wrists bent to reach the keyboard, the notebook screen necessarily tilted down at an awkward angle. To make matters worse, prior to take-off a Delta representative had assured me that the airplane was equipped with in-seat power outlets for notebooks. It wasn't.

In short, if I hadn't had work to do, I would have put the notebook away and read a book. For the record, the flight I'm referring to was Delta flight 305, a Boeing 757 aircraft.

I'd like to hear from other notebook-packing travelers about their best and worst coach-class airline seats. Was there a particular aircraft you traveled on that was especially comfortable, or uncomfortable, for notebook use? If so, please e-mail me with details: airline, flight number, aircraft type, the make and model of your notebook, why the flight was memorable, and any tips you have for squeezing the most work time out of your flight. I'll include your responses in future newsletters.

News: Dell Introduces Ultraportable Latitude

At 3.7 pounds, the Latitude D400 is the lightest of Dell's new Latitude D-Family notebooks. A $1499 base configuration includes a 1.3-GHz Pentium M processor, a 20GB hard drive, 128MB of memory, a four-cell battery, an external CD-ROM drive, and the Intel Pro Wireless chip for 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless network support.

News: HP's Widescreen Portable

Hewlett-Packard's new Compaq Presario X1000 notebooks sport a high-resolution, 15.4-inch wide-aspect-ratio display designed for viewing multiple application windows side by side or editing images, video, page layouts, and other graphics-intensive files. Other features include Intel's Centrino package, a Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard slot for transferring files from digital cameras and MP3 players, three USB 2.0 ports, and an IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port for video transfers. The currently available Presario X1001us costs $2399 after a $100 rebate. Additional, configurable X1000 series models are due out by the time you read this.