Betty E,
I was actually looking at that same laptop last night. I really like how compact it is. That's really nice to talk to someone that has one. By the time I pack up my 7 lb gateway, it's quite a bundle to carry around.
I'm looking for something small to just grab and go.
The upgrade to 2gig ram would be $200.00
This is more in my price range. The 12" screen Gateway with 2gigs runs around $1,700.

You just might have convinced me to take another look at it.
Does it run cool and how long do the batteries last?

Any other information you might think of would help.

Thanks, EZ

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Hi EZ... a few thoughts from me here.

1) Make sure you get a Core Duo processor... the battery consumption will be a bit higher than say Turion.. but the speed is at least 2x as fast - I wouldn't purchase anything else these days.

2) 2GB will be plenty of memory for PS - sure the more the better but 2GB is a great point to be at. As mentioned above, just be sure that the laptop has at least 4 memory slots... and only 2 (or even better 1) are filled with the 2 GB... some cheapo companies will actually stick 4 older 512 in there for 2GB!

3) 12.1" displays are small... but you will notice that the lack of screen space with CS3. If you don't mind the small extra weight - I'd recommend 14" minimum.. and 15" maximum. 17"/19" are only really useful as desktop replacements.. once you get that big, carrying them around (and even using them) gets unwieldy except on a big desk.

4) I don't usually say this... but... get the extra insurance for at least 2 years. Laptops are notorious for breaking.. and unlike a desktop where the warranties are useless because you can easily replace a part with another one... you'll be out of luck in many cases if you say.. drop your laptop and it breaks.. or it won't boot up, etc.

5) If you can........... get XP instead of Vista. Vista is still a memory hog and has some problems while XP is almost perfect at this point. Most new laptops in the big stores only ship with Vista.. but you might find an older closeout with XP. Grab it if you can..

6) Stay away from Sony... Too many recall problems and overpriced to boot.. they look nice though.

7) Check out Dell/Acer websites.. you typically can find some discontinued models (3 months old) for a great deall.. and then you can apply 25% discounts and $30 off coupons to bring the price down even lower!

Ok.. that's it from me... good luck and let me know if you need help.

Thanks Pesto,
Good information. I will definitely look at the specs before I make a purchase.

EZ

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welcome... BTW.. look for some close-outs on newegg as well.. they can save you some big $$$ if you closely enough.

Just as a postscript, I ended up ordering the Acer Travelmate 6292.
I got the best deal at zipzoomfly.com. It was $1085.00 with free shipping. I already have a 15" laptop, but I really wanted a 12" screen for travel, and ease of portability.
It comes with 1 gig of ram, but my son-in-law, who builds his own computers, showed me where I can get another gig for under $40.

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Ooh...Great thread. I want one soo bad and know a couple things I want just by reading other threads. So now I have a few more notes to add on for my hubby!

Great to hear you got one EZ.

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Well have fun with your new toy!! You went with a smaller screen? We changed to a 17inch widescreen Gateway a few months back (Vista) "for travel". It's a great computer, really love the hand rest on it. No problems at all with it. When we travel we of course take our cameras and download everything to the laptop at the end of the day to look at it. That way if we need to go back out and take something over again we can. My husbands desktop has a 27inch widescreen, so he is hooked on the widescreen. Some day my computer will die and I'll get one also.

HAVE FUN.

Ouch... 17" screen for traveling along with any photo gear - hope you have great backs! When I travel with my large photo backback, I take along my older 12" laptop for exactly the opposite reason.. I don't want to add any more weight. 4lbs vs 8lbs makes a big difference when you are already carrying 50lbs of gear... and the battery consumption of a 12" model is about 60% less than a 17" version.

Glad you found one you like EZ... Good luck with it!