Right, I’ve been debating this laptop for weeks now.. Most people know my deliberations on it… I want something small (that’s the first time I’ve ever said that in almost any context!), but functional. I’ve got to be able to run the business from it. But still be able to throw it into a small bag and walk out the door.

My current Laptop (an Aspire 3610) is fantastic and used as my main machine day in, day out. But after the recent security scares I found it pushed the very limits of hand luggage!!

So, I like the Sony Vaio (doesn’t everybody!?!?), I don’t like the price tag. The iQon from Tesco is nice, but never heard of the brand and doesn’t seem to have very good battery life.

PCWorld have a Philips Freevents X53 which looks bang on the money – so I’m off to play with it now.

My biggest reservation is it not having a PCMCIA card slot, just an ExpressCard. This worries me as there are no ExpressCard 3G data cards yet…. It leaves me with very few options:

1. Don’t buy the laptop (I’ve looked at the Dell range and they’re fitted with this slot now, so it tells me this is the way forward!).
2. Buy the laptop and a 3G ExpressCard (I’d probably wait a while, the 3G card from Expansys is pre-order only at £235ish at the moment).
3. Buy the laptop and an adapter (I’ve found one company who sell a USB to PCMCIA adapater (essentially a PCMCIA box on the end of a USB lead, not an idea I particularly like, especially at over £150 when buying a £800 laptop!!)
4. Buy the laptop and live with it, I can bluetooth to my handset and use 2.5G/GPRS and look at the ExpressCards when they come down, or even buy a 3G phone that is unlocked that I can put my USIM into and network from that!

Number 4 looks the most obvious solution at the moment!