I keep hearing from people that travel a lot how the MacBook Air or Asus Eee, but nobody seems to be talking about the Dell Vostro.
Well, I just picked up a Dell Vostro 1400 and I totally love it. Some of the specs…
- 14.1″ Widescreen WXGA+ (1440×900) display
- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz,4MB Cache,800MHz FSB)
- Integrated 2.0 mega pixel Webcam
- No trialware (anybody that has gotten a Dell knows how annoying that pre-installed junk is)
- Built in Mobile Broadband (HSDPA 3.6)
The mobile broadband was the most important feature to me. They gave the option of choosing AT&T, Sprint or Verizon as the provider, and I went with AT&T, since I already have them for my cell phone, and I was able to add it to the same bill.
The service for me on AT&T comes to $60/month, which may sound a little steep, but factor in what your time is worth – you become more productive with this access.
Not to mention that you no longer need to pay as you go in airports and hotels.
The other day, I used it for the first time when I took the commuter train to SES NYC, which was about 70 minutes each way. I had consistent, fast access the whole time, except when I was in a tunnel going under the Hudson River.
I wish I had this when I used to commute daily. It’s also a great resource for when I’m stuck someplace, like waiting for kids at soccer practice, getting the car serviced, etc.
When I travel, I tap into my office desktop via GoToMyPC, so this enabled me to access all of my files at any time. It would have been great to have this last month when I spent three hours on the tarmac waiting for a flight to take off.
Anyhow, the MacBook Air and ASUS Eee are pretty and small, but this is the machine for me.
It’s pretty light (a little more than five pounds) and has all of the stuff I want and need, like the mobile broadband, Webcam, slot for SD cards, lots of USB ports, etc.