Small and ready for my kind of summer
The thirst is strong. I want to go back to the Dell well and drink from the newest flavour: Netbook. I mean, can one really have too many personal computers?
This evening, I’m testing the new Dell Latitude 2100, which we’re considering for classroom use. What’s not to like? Small, fast, ready to serve. Seriously, as vacation time approaches, the idea of a slightly smaller machine in my backpack has merit. The “usual” laptop, with a wonderful 17 inch screen, is great fun until you have to carry it somewhere other than over to the couch. I’m already wondering if I could borrow my old laptop from son #1 for a few weeks.
The Latitude netbook is aimed squarely at the classroom, where a large screen and a superfast processor would be overkill. Think about real life use: a bit of net, a bit of text, a few tunes when work is done. The external rubber coating is great, and the 10 inch screen is huge compared to my original laptop machine. There are 3 USB ports (and I have a couple of 4-port hubs in the front pocket of my carry bag). A slot for the memory card means that taking pictures on vacation would be a little easier (Kodachrome is from the far distant past). The wireless card had no difficulty in connecting to my home network (XP is so easy to control). Did I mention that XP is standard?
There is one possibility that needs exploration; having someone else purchase a unit and then put me in charge of testing for the summer months. Not so far-fetched. I wonder if I can sell the concept before we load up and hit the road?
