Computing in the New Millennium - Essay Example

Computing in the New Millennium In the world of computing devices it is often confusing to understand the differences among the various gadgets and goodies. However, the capability and size are the major differences. This does not mean that smaller devices do less. It all depends upon what is inside. The three basic types of digital devices are computers, PDAs and smart phones. Computers are multipurpose devices with a microprocessor, one or more input devices and one or more output devices. That is, people can enter information into them, they process it and put it out to some device like a screen or a printer. Computers do many different things by using the same hardware (all the solid stuff in and on the case) but using different software, programs which tell the computer what to do and how to do it. Computers come in three basic types: desktop, laptop and palmtop. The desktop which usually consists of a box, a screen, a mouse and a keyboard can usually do more than the others. The laptop, sometimes called a notebook or subnotebook PC. These machines are all-in-one packages with the computer, keyboard, mouse and display screen all together. They are generally not as powerful as a desktop and the desktop costs less for the same features, because the portability is expensive. Palmtops are really small subnotebooks, not much bigger than your hand. However, to qualify as a palmtop computer it has to have all the same attributes as the others: it must run different programs which you can buy and install, it must have an input device, a processing unit and the ability to output to a device. A PDA is a Personal Digital Assistant. It has many of the functions of the computers, but very limited capacity and power, partly due to its small size. The high end PDAs include word processing, email, calculating, databases and Internet access. Some come with simplified accounting software as many users need them to make entries into expense accounts. Mapping and GPS is a very popular function on these devices, and a few, called smart phones, have a cell phone, possibly a camera and Bluetooth and edge wireless technology built in. Most newly manufactured PDAs will accept external memory cards to expand their capacity. Most PDAs will connect to your computer in order to synchronize information, such as contact lists, to-do lists, and calendars. They can also move music, photo and video files back and forth between the machines. (Gookin, Dan, 31-44) So let’s look at the components of these devices and exactly what they do. Once thing they all share is digital chips and memory. Digital simply means that they work using digital math: not base ten like we use to count, but generally binary using only ones and zeros. The more powerful machines use the larger octal (or eight bit) and hexadecimal (or 16 bit). These are all just different ways of counting. The most basic, binary, is the easiest to understand. Zero is off and one is on. So power can be routed through a series of “gates” according to whether the “gate” is open (on) or closed (off). Each different pathway give the machine a different message and it does something different. In each case, the main chip, called the CPU (Central Processing Unit) uses tiny bits of electric power to process data. The digital memory is storage which hold information as long as power is applied to it. All of these devices have to have an operating system. (159-168) There are many to choose from, but Windows has the largest share of the market. In smaller devices the PALM operating system is popular. However, there are smaller Windows systems, like windows CE. Java, from Sun, also has a share of this market. Each of these devices has a display screen. The larger the display the higher the cost, especially on very small devices. The higher the resolution on these screen the costlier they become. This means that they can hold more dots in the same area, making the pictures much more clear and pretty. (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 95-100)The second component of the display is the video card. A nice display can look really bad with a cheap video card. The video card has its own memory and processor, so it processes video information without using the CPU. (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 101-105) Some of these video cards for desktops are so powerful they need their own cooling system of one or two fans right on the card and they cost over $1000. These cards are usually only needed by gamers, because most people don’t need the video processing power they provide. Video cards may also offer an array of different input and output options so that you can connect external devices, such as a camera or a home theater system. Sound devices are also generally separate from the CPU and these process sound information, generally using their own on-board memory and usually offer a variety of input and output choices. (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 128-130)They may also connect to many external devices, such as your stereo or your MP3 player and they can power anywhere from one to 8 or more speakers. Storage is the last major consideration for these devices. It comes in many types: hard drive, which we do not see, because they are internal, floppy disks, which are becoming obsolete, CD and DVD player and recorder, memory cards and sticks which fit into external slots and a large variety of magnetic and static RAM storage devices. One of the popular extra devices is a way to connect to the Internet via wired or wireless connection. Most computers used to come with a modem or a fax modem top use for dialing up the internet using the phone lines and sending and receiving faxes over the same lines. (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 123-128) However, many devices are now coming with built in Ethernet cards which connect to a broadband cable, satellite or DSL connection for high speed Internet. (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 131-136) Wireless is almost always included on the laptops and palmtops, but not always on the desktops or PDAs. There are a larger variety of input and output devices and they use a variety of different technologies to transfer information in and out of the device. These include: mouse, trackball, digital pen, microphone, touch tablet, infra-red and other wireless technologies, external screens, printers and scanners. This basically describes the general array of available digital devices. Now we will look closely at the two most popular: the desktop (for it power, utility and lower cost) and the laptop (for power and utility with mobility) If I were looking for either of these, I would have three possibilities: a really nice custom built desktop that will do everything I need and be useful for at least five years and which is expandable as new things are created for it; a very useful laptop with a larger screen and long battery life or a very small subnotebook computer that I can tuck in a pocket and still have a real computer with me. So I think the most useful pair would be the powerful desktop and the tiny subnotebook. I have found very nice examples of these on the Internet. For the desktop I chose a machine at Tigerdirect.com. For the subnotebook I really would like to have the ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf Notebook. I chose a powerful cad/cam desktop from Tigerdirect. I will list the various features and components on the pages following these pasted pages from the sales websites and explain the many differences between the machines.. CybertronPC Extreme CAD Workstation CybertronPCs CAD Systems are designed for designing. From Maya to Autocad, from Bryce 3D Poser to Solidworks, to Catia and other designing software, a CybertronPC CAD workstation is your best choice. Your best choice not only for investment and quality, but for performance and stability as well. With CybertronPC...Upgrading is EASY! If you like the system you see, but it just isn’t "quite" what you are after, simply call your sales rep to get a quote for the upgrades you need. You’ll receive a custom quote and your upgrades will be installed directly at the factory. It doesn’t get easier than that Knowing that professional-level design takes a system that is above and beyond the norm, CybertronPC has focused on providing only the highest quality components with the needs of both you, the designer, and your software in mind. That’s why you’ll find only NVIDIA Quadro based video cards in these designing stations! Reliability & Service CybertronPC has become the 15th largest system builder through proven long-term reliability and service. This wasn’t done instantly or by being one of those all too common fly-by night companies. It has taken years of dedication to our customers and being concerned more with the high quality of the products we deliver to them, than our own profit and bottom line. CybertronPC provides you with only the highest quality products. We understand the frustration caused by systems that do not work properly, especially when time sensitive issues are involved. All of Cybertron’s exceptionally expandable systems must undergo the industry’s most rigorous testing to ensure superior performance under even the most challenging conditions. We understand the need for timely resolutions. CybertronPC offers a fully staffed, trained and U.S.-based support group who are superbly able to provide quality IT solutions - WITHOUT the hours-long hold times of other companies. We provide only the best service, support, and systems. For all your computing needs… look no further than CybertronPC. Your CybertronPC system is backed by over a decade of experience and it provides you with the best value at the right price. As a leading system integrator, CybertronPC offers the highest quality systems and comprehensive service. Do not buy into empty marketing jargon that does nothing but justify a higher price. Shop and compare the value of CybertronPC. Specifications Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.00 GHz Quad Core Processor Intel P35DPM Motherboard 8192 MB (8GB) DDR II 800MHz PC6400 Memory Dual 74GB SATA RAPTOR 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drives 20X DVD±RW Burner Dual Layer Drive NVIDIA Quadro FX3500 256MB Video Professional Graphics Card 8 Channel High Definition onboard sound 10/100/1000 Gigabit Network Interface Super Mid Tower Case with 600 Watt Power Supply Logitech Keyboard and Optical Scroll Mouse Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64-bit Edition Front Ports : (2) USB 2.0 Rear Ports : (6) USB 2.0 (some by headers), (2) IEEE1394a (1 by header), (1) Serial header, Audio I/O Panel, (1) RJ45 Expansion Slots: (1) PCI-Express x16, (3) PCI-Express x1, (3) PCI Features: Intel P35DPM P35 & ICH9R Chipset Motherboard - CPU Type: Socket 775 - Memory type: DDR2, 800/667 - Memory sockets: 4 Slots - Max. Memory: 8 GB - LAN: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Network Connector - IDE/SATA: (1) ATA133, (6) SATA2 - RAID Capabilities: 0, 1, 10 and 5 - Expansion Slots: (1) X16 PCI-E, (3) X1 PCI-E, (3) PCI Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 3.00GHz Quad Core Processor - Process Type: Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad - Processor: QX6850 - Frequency: 3.0GHz - FSB: 1333MHz - Cache: 8MB - Socket: Socket LGA 775 - Process: 65 nm 8GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory CybertronPC only uses the best memory in their systems… and for good reason! More problems are associated with memory than with any other component. CybertronPC leaps over the competition by using Cream-of-the-Crop hand-picked memory for all their systems. High-performance computing requires high-performance memory. - Memory Size: 8GB (4x2GB) - Memory Speed: 800MHz - Memory Type: DDR2 PC6400 Quadro FX3500 256MB PCI-E X16 Professional Grade Video Graphics Card - Memory: - 256MB - 256 bit - Type: DDR3 - Bandwidth42.2 GB/s - Interface: - PCI-E 16X - Highest Workstation Application Performance Next-generation architecture enables over 2x improvement in geometry and fill rates with the industry’s highest performance for professional CAD, DCC, and visualization applications. - Unmatched Color Precision Full 128-bit precision graphics pipeline enables sophisticated mathematical computations to maintain high accuracy, resulting in unmatched visual quality. Full IEEE 32-bit floating-point precision per color component (RGBA) delivers millions of color variations with the broadest dynamic range. - Next-Generation Vertex and Pixel Programmability NVIDIA Quadro FX GPUs introduce infinite length vertex programs and dynamic flow control, removing the previous limits on complexity and structure of shader programs. With full support for Vertex and Shader Model 3.0, NVIDIA Quadro FX GPUs deliver sophisticated effects never before imagined for real-time graphics systems. - Rotated Grid FSAA (FSAA) RG FSAA sampling algorithm introduces far greater sophistication in the sampling pattern, significantly increasing color accuracy and visual quality for edges and lines, reducing “jaggies” while maintaining performance. - 12-bit subpixel precision delivers high geometric accuracy. - Hardware-Accelerated Pixel Read-Back Greater than 2.4GB/sec., pixel read-back performance delivers massive host throughput. - High Precision Dynamic Range Imaging (HPDR) technology - NVIDIA PureVideo Technology - Dual Dual-Link Digital Display Connectors Two dual-link TMDS transmitters support ultra high resolution panels (up to 3840 x 2400 at 24Hz on each panel) - resulting in amazing image quality and detailed photorealistic images. - NVIDIA SLI Technology NVIDIA SLI technology enables dynamically scalable graphics performance, enhanced image quality, and expanded display real estate. Dual 74GB SATA RAPTOR Hard Drives in a RAID 0 (Stripped) Array CybertronPC only uses name brand hard drives such as Western Digital, Hitachi, Samsung, Maxtor, and Seagate. The hard drive that is installed in this system will be decided upon based on availability at the time the order is placed. - Capacity (GB): 74GB x 2 - RPM: 10,000 - Interface: SATA - Cache: 16MB - RAID 0 (stripped) for extra performance 20x Dual Layer DVD±RW Optical Drive Read/Write Speeds:(DVD+R media, other media types will vary) - Write 20 X (27.0MB/sec) - Read 16 X (21.6MB/sec) - (DVD+R media, other media types will vary) Supported Disc Formats: - DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW - DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, - DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video - CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM, CD-ROM/XA, CD-Audio - Video-CD, Photo CD, CD-I(FMV), CD-Extra - CD-TEXT Logitech Keyboard and Optical Mouse Features: - Full-size F-row keys - Great for overlays - Optical-precision mouse - Works with Microsoft Windows Vista - Logitechs world-famous quality Super Mid Tower Case - Key-lock ring for higher security - Strong C-Framed chassis structure - Thumb Screws for Easy-to-open side cover - Rail Mounting system for 5.25” devices - 3 types of EMI shielding on drive bays, side cover and slots - Easy-to-open side cover and front panel - Patented 3.5” slide-in cages and 5.25” sliding rails - Circular rotation feet for more stability - Chassis intrusion detector switch - Dual 120mm fans - 5.25” Drive Bays: 4 - 3.5" Drive Bays: 7 (5 internal/hidden) - 3.5” Drive Bays: 2 (Internal Hidden) - 600 Watt Power Supply with 120mm fan - Expansion Slots 7 - MBD Form Factor: Full ATX, ATX and Micro-ATX - Dimensions (W x H x D) 8.3 x 20.6 x 16.9 inches 600 Watt Power Supply Features: - Meets ATX v2.2, 1.3 and ATX 12V v2.2 Specifications - High Efficiency - Protections: Short Circuit, In-Rush Current, Thermal Overload Cutoff, Over-Temperature, Over-Voltage, Over-Current, Under Voltage - 120mm Fan – Thermostatically controlled for low acoustic noise Microsoft Windows XP Professional – 64bit Edition If youre looking for large amounts of memory and improved floating-point performance for tasks that rely on real-number data, such as mechanical design and analysis, three-dimensional (3-D) animation, video editing and composition, and scientific and high-performance computing, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is designed for you. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition gives you a robust platform for the integration of 64-bit and 32-bit applications using the Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) x86 emulation layer. You can move to 64-bit computing while still maintaining your existing investment in 32-bit software and Windows expertise. In Fact, most Windows-compatible 32-bit applications run "as is" in a subsystem of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, with performance comparable to 32-bit Windows. The performance of 64-bit computing offers advantages in fields such as automobile and airplane design by allowing engineers to create larger, more complex models. Engineers can use simulation software to analyze the effects of airflow, stress, and heat on the materials of a car or airplane, and then study the results to improve overall product design. Likewise, 64-bit computing benefits digital content creators, including three-dimensional (3-D) animators, digital artists, and game developers, who can significantly reduce the time they spend digitally rendering 3-D models. This is the subnotebook I want: ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf Notebook Summary Share photos of your travels without waiting till you get home. Shop the world wide web without attaching any lines or wires. Learn through the latest technology without a technical manual. Play, relax, and entertain on the go with shock-proof design. Connect with friends and family with just a few clicks. At 7" and weighing only 0.92kg, you can take the Eee PC anywhere. Enjoy music and videos with extensive support for a wide range of digital multimedia. You’re always connected with built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g that automatically detects and connects to the Internet at any hotspot. Features Processor: Intel Mobile CPU Display: 7" TFT 800 x 480 (WVGA) RAM: 512 MB DDR II SDRAM Hard Drive: 4 GB Solid State Drive Integrated Features: Stereo Speakers, Card Reader Battery Run Time: 2.8 hour(s) Color: Pure White OS: Linux Warranty: 1 Year Limited   Mobility & Reliability At 7" and weighing only 0.92kg, you can take the Eee PC anywhere. Bumps and shocks are no longer issues. With a dependable solid-state disk, you get unparalleled shock-protection and reliability. Power-efficient design provides longer operating time when on the go. Ease & Technology With a rapid start-up time, the Eee PC is always ready to get into action. No technical manual required with the specially designed, user-friendly and intuitive graphic interface.     Work & Connectivity You’re always connected with built-in WiFi 802.11 b/g that automatically detects and connects to the Internet at any hotspot. The Eee PC includes the documents and the e-mails software, and a suite of other productivity software to help keep you on track. Upload photos and videos and share them instantly on Flickr or YouTube without waiting till you get home. Media & Entertainment Enjoy music and videos with extensive support for a wide range of digital multimedia. Log on to Skype or other network, and you can connect with friends anywhere, anytime. Clear up wire clutter with the built-in card reader, camera, speakers, and Manufacturer Asus Manufacturer Part # 90OA06A40101111U105Q System Type Ultra Portable PC Processor Type Intel Ultra Mobile PC Chipset Type Intel Mobile Chipset RAM  Installed Size 512 MB Technology DDR II SDRAM Memory Specification Compliance n/a Storage Hard Drive 4 GB Solid State Drive Card Reader Supported Flash Memory Cards SD Memory Card, MultiMediaCard Display Display Type 7" TFT active matrix Max Resolution 800 x 480 (WVGA) Widescreen Display Yes Audio Audio Output Sound card Compliant Standards High Definition Audio Audio Input Microphone Input Device(s) Keyboard Telecom Modem Fax/Modem  Max Transfer Rate 56 Kbps Networking Networking Network Adapter Wireless LAN Supported Yes Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g Expansion Interfaces 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) 1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5 mm 1 x audio - line-out/headphones - mini-phone 3.5 mm Miscellaneous Features Stereo speakers, Card Reader Power Power Device External Voltage Required AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz ) Battery Technology 4-cell Installed Qty 1 Run Time (Up To) 2.8 hour(s) Operating System OS Provided Linux Dimensions (W x D x H) Unit 8.9" x 6.5" x 1.4" Weight Unit 2 lbs Warranty 1 Year Limited ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf Notebook: Supplies and Accessories Options    External Storage | Cables The differences between the machines: Desktop-$3669 Subnotebook-$465 Function or difference CybertronPC NVIDIA Extreme CAD Workstation ASUS Eee PC 4G Surf Notebook Name and model Processor: Process Type: Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad - Processor: QX6850 - Frequency: 3.0GHz - FSB: 1333MHz - Cache: 8MB - Socket: Socket LGA 775 - Process: 65 nm Processor: Intel Ultra Mobile PC: This is a full palmtop computer The processor of the desktop is the latest type. It is quad core, meaning it actually functions like 4 computers running together, making it very easy to run several programs at once and switch between them. It is very fast at processing: 3 gigahertz and it has a large memory cache built in (8 Megabytes), so it can operate even faster by processing without using system memory for small repeated tasks. The for factor: Socket LGA 775 tells us what kinds of motherboard (Main board) it needs. The processing time for that memory cache is 65 nanoseconds, very fast. The processor on the subnotebook (Palmtop) is fast enough for all mobile needs. It is not up to doing the same things as the desktop can do. Memory Size: 8GB (4x2GB) - Memory Speed: 800MHz - Memory Type: DDR2 PC6400 This is a huge memory and very fast memory sticks Memory: 512 MB DDR II SDRAM This is more than many desktops these days The desktop has a huge memory. It can run any currently available retail software. The palmtop has more memory than many desktops. It will run most regular retail software, but really big software packages, like Adobe Photoshop will be really slow. You would not want to run this application on so small a computer anyway. Dual 74GB SATA RAPTOR Hard Drives in a RAID 0 (Stripped) Array - Capacity (GB): 74GB x 2 - RPM: 10,000 - Interface: SATA - Cache: 16MB - RAID 0 (stripped) for extra performance 4 GB Solid State Drive The hard drives in the desktop are enough, but I would add a terabyte drive to the system for data storage. The two installed drives can hold the operating system and installed programs nicely, and the striped raid array means that both drives have the same data on them: they are copies in case one does not function right, the other will. The raid array copes everything to the second drive automatically. The palmtop has a tiny 4 gigabyte solid state hard drive. It is pretty durable for carrying, because it has no moving parts. It is good that this little machine has a memory card slot for extra storage. I might add a nice 60 gigabyte external flash drive so I can carry music, books and pictures or the offered 500 gigabyte external Hard drive for $135.99 Video graphics card: Quadro FX3500 256MB PCI-E X16 Professional Grade Video Graphics Card - Memory: - 256MB - 256 bit - Type: DDR3 - Bandwidth42.2 GB/s - Interface: - PCI-E 16X Graphics card: This does not say what the graphics card is, because it is built on to the motherboard, which is ASUS. The resolution is only 800x400, but that is a lot better than any mobile phone or most PDAs The graphics card on the desktop is really nice. It will do 3D processing, play games nicely, and render photos (process them to the screen or printer) really fast. It has more memory built onto the graphics card than most PCs have built into the system. The graphics on the small palmtop will not be great, but it will work fine for any application which will run on the system This machine comes without a monitor. The right kind of monitor will cost between $150-$600, depending upon what is needed. The machine can actually drive two large monitors simultaneously. Display: 7" TFT 800 x 480 (WVGA) The desktop doies not come with a monitor. I would add two monitors: 1-22 inch wide screen and one 22 inch wide screen with tilt and pivot. This way one can have part of the desktop on the left6 monitor, maybe an open web page or document from which to work and another part on the second monitor, maybe a word document in which to work, and the monitor can be turned so you see the page just like it prints. The small display on the palmtop is adequate for its use. The larger the screen the higher the cost and the weight. 20x Dual Layer DVD±RW Optical Drive No optical drive The optical drive will on the desktop will make every kind of CD or DVD, except blueray. I might add a second optical drive which reads and writes blueray at about $150. The palmtop does not have a CD or DVD player. The operating system should be backed up to a desktop and a memory card. Then if it needs to be reinstalled it will be there. You could add an external USB CD-DVD drive. Logitech Keyboard and Optical Mouse Features: - Full-size F-row keys - Great for overlays - Optical-precision mouse Very small keyboard and touch tablet. The wireless keyboard and mouse is nice, I would add a trackball to the desktop system as it is easier to use. The Palmtop has a small keyboard and a touch tablet for a mouse. It will work, but it is not good for inputting a lot of data. One could use voice input, using the built in microphone, but it would process very slowly. OS: Windows XP-64 (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 163) OS: Linux (Gookin, Dan, 2006, 164) The windows XP-64 on the desktop is powerful and can run as if it is 4 separate computers. Linux on the palmtop is a smart way to get more computing power for less. There are many applications which run on Linux. Sound card on motherboard: 8 Channel High Definition onboard sound Sound card: High Definition Audio built in Both machines have good audio for their size and capability. However, I might add a nice 5.1 creative labs external audio to either one. They are small and very portable, and this increase the beauty of the sound for about $35-$200 depending on the power etc. Ports: Front Ports : (2) USB 2.0 Rear Ports : (6) USB 2.0 (some by headers), (2) IEEE1394a (1 by header), (1) Serial header, Audio I/O Panel, (1) RJ45 Expansion Slots: (1) PCI-Express x16, (3) PCI-Express x1, (3) PCI Ports: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g 1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15) 1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5 mm 1 x audio - line-out/headphones - mini-phone 3.5 mm Both machines have every kind of input and output port currently in use. You can connect USB devices to either one, use a telephone jack for fax or dialup access, connect to the internet via Ethernet for high speed, Use built in wireless connection, and use a headset. The palmtop cones with a built in mike and stereo speakers. Speakers and mike or headset must be added to the desktop: about $100-$1000, depending upon quality. Power Supply: 600 watts Power Supply: 4 cell battery or AC adapter The desktop has a large capacity power supply, but it only uses this in really resource intensive programs, like photoshop I would add a car AC adapter or charger to the Palmtop for between $35-$75 Extras on the palmtop include a built-in camera Conclusions: The desktop is much more powerful. There is not a laptop made this powerful yet. However, the base price of $3669 does not include a monitor, speakers, extra hard drive and headset and trackball I would add. So the cost would definitely rise by at least $1000-$2000 for me. Someone else might spend more on speakers and display monitors. This is a monster machine that will do everything, but it is big and heavy, and costs more than the palmtop. The palmtop is really great for the tiny $465 price. There are many cell phones which cost more and do a lot less. This little ultra portable device does more than most expensive retail computers did less than ten years ago. It is a great buy for the price and the size. It only weighs 2 pounds. The battery life is very short at less than three hours in use, but an AC adapter plus maybe a nice external battery pack will get over this problem. I would add about $200 worth of goodies like extra external hard drive and memory cards and AC adapter to make this a really great thing to carry. My digital camera plugs right into it and my phone can transfer data to it. This is a great pocket-sized computer. APPENDIX A: Checklist for Buying Source: Buying a Computer for Dummies 2006 References Anandtech on line, 2008, http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3166 http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3191 CNET Online Courses, Build Your Own Dream PC, 2008, http://build-your-dream-pc.classes.cnet.com/ Gookin, Dan, 2006, Buying a Computer for Dummies, Wiley Publishing Inc. HP Online Courses, 2008 several about PCs http://h30240.www3.hp.com/security/login.jsp Register Hardware Reviews, 2008, http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/11/16/review_asus_eee_pc/ Silverman, Dwight 2008 Building your own Computer, http://www.legitreviews.com/article/316/1/ Superwarehouse Online, 2008, ASUS http://www.superwarehouse.com/Asus~Eee_PC-series.htm TigerDirect Online, 2008, http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3563476&CatId=1815 Specs Features Includes Warranty   Read More