Unless the reviews are really bad I am going to be investing in a Dell E Series Slim mini notebook.

They come in both 8.9″ and 12″ form factors.

I am used to a 12″ laptop so just to mix it up I will go with the smaller 8.9″ (watch me flip/flop on that nearer the time).

I think Dell are right when they pitch the device as the “30 min web experience.”

I don’t expect this to me my primary machine but when I am out and about I just need all my data and a machine capable of establishing VPN connections for remote technical support.

I wonder if Dell will offer any mobile data options for this. If not a USB Dongle it is.

I am currently in a transitional period with my own technology I always like to investigate ways of improving productivity and I think I can squeeze some more by centralising everything on a powerful desktop PC and use a Dell E Slim as my mobile extension to it.

That’s why the mobile comm’s of the Dell E slim are interesting to me. I can just VPN back to base if I need to.

Note the video is not in English, but you get the idea of what multi-touch is and how it might apply to you as a laptop user.

Multi-touch allows you to do multi directional input with your fingers.

I cant see a reason that in a few years time this wont be a standard part of a laptop track pad.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch

From Alienware

I love the “Do Not Touch” sign

From NEC

This year I am going back to a dual monitor setup. I have decided to go Widescreen on the main monitor and 4:3 of the monitor off to the right. I utilise two computers in daily use and will more or less have one monitor per computer.

I will still have the option of dragging the content between them. For example if I am working on a Widescreen spreadsheet I would dock that onto the Widescreen monitor but my Outlook email might be better off on a 4:3 screen.

Productivity is very important to me and dual monitors do help.

I was a bit under whelmed by the announcement but now having seen it I am really impressed.

Now things are going to get interesting in the mobile space.

The iPhone is a walled garden you are locked into this, locked into that.

Windows Mobile is a more open platform allowing 3rd party developers to create applications but as I previously said they need to innovate and quickly.

Android is an open platform with some heavyweight support. Frustrated hardware manufactures are sick of Microsoft’s stranglehold of their hardware, in some respects holding them back.

Thanks to http://www.coolsmartphone.com for the link. Check out their site for peer reviews of Windows Mobile Phones.

If you have one of the 2007 VYE’s please drop a note in the comments.

I want to know from a real user how practical a 7″ Laptop can be and what kind of things this device is good for.

I am looking for a niche product to push and the VYE’s are on my shortlist.

Link: http://www.vyepc.com/