Mini-Me Strikes Again Sub-subnotebooks

It reads like a James Bond novel: lighter than a laptop, morepowerful than a palm PC and code-named "Jupiter." Thesesub-subnotebooks are a little heftier than Palm PCs but share manyof the same traits. They all run Windows CE (you Mac users willwant to go read something else), Microsoft's low-cal version ofthe Windows operating system. The Windows CE interface synchronizeswell with your standard Windows desktop but suffers from a shortageof applications and minor incompatibilities between what'savailable and the desktop versions.

The handhelds themselves are lightweight, cost under $1000 andusually feature a color touchscreen--sort of a Palm PC/laptopcomputer hybrid. If you've been lugging an 8-pound laptoparound, a sub-3-pound handheld starts to look pretty good. Most ofthese machines feature "instant-on," so there's nowaiting. CE software on all these puppies includes Microsoft PocketWord, Pocket Excel, Pocket PowerPoint, Pocket Access (notice apattern here?), Pocket Outlook and Pocket Internet Explorer. Sowhat's it good for? Packing around, for sure. It's a nicemid-dle ground if you need more than a palm PC but don't needall the baggage of a notebook computer. Definitely take a fieldtrip over to CompUSA or someplace similar and try one out. See ifyou can handle the less-than-full-sized keyboard. Glorified palmPC, or scaled-down notebook? You make the call.

IBM Workpad Z50

Manufacturer: IBM

Model: WorkPad Z50

Street Price: $780

Phone: (800) 426-3333

Web Site:http://www.ibm.com

IBM describes its sub-subnotebook as a "portable PCcompanion." That's pretty accurate. The keyboard is 95percent of IBM's Thinkpad keyboard size. The 8.2-inch displaymatches the HP and the NEC in size (see next page). Workingovertime? The claimed battery life is a whopping 16 hours with anoptional high-capacity battery ($200). The standard battery lastsup to 10 hours. Specs include 16MB RAM, a 33.6 Kbps datafax modemand a slim 2.6 pounds of heft. At 131 MHz, it's a little pokeycompared to the HP and Vadem Clio.

Sharp Mobilon TriPad PV-6000

Manufacturer: Sharp

Model: Mobilon TriPad PV-6000

Street Price: $800

Phone: (800) 237-4277

Web Site:http://www.sharp-usa.com

The groovy-looking Mobilon has only a 33.6 Kbps modem, but itclaims up to 12 hours of battery life. (That's your averageworkday, right?) The wild-looking screen is really prettypractical. It comes with 16MB RAM and an MIPS processor standard. Alarger-than-normal 9.4-inch display is a nice touch. The versatiledesign looks great, but it might take a little getting used to. Tryit out at a store and see what you think. Compare the Sharp to thenearly identical Vadem Clio.

NEC MobilePro 770

Manufacturer: NEC

Model: MobilePro 770

Street Price: $800

Phone: (888) 632-8701

Web Site:http://www.nec-computers.com

The specs on the NEC MobilePro read A lot like the HP Jornada820: 8.1-inch color touchscreen, built-in 56 Kbps modem. TheMobilePro is even more lightweight at only 1.7 pounds. Two majordifferences are processor speed and RAM. The MobilePro clocks inwith a 131 MHz processor to the HP's 190 MHz. But the NECsports twice as much RAM with 32MB. It's a tradeoff, but youcan always add more RAM to the HP.

HP Jornada 820

Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard

Model: Jornada 820

Street Price: $700

Phone: (800) 752-0900

Web Site:http://www.hp.com/jornada

The poster child for Jupiter subnotebooks is the Hewlett-PackardJornada 820. At a svelte 2.5 pounds, the Jornada features 16MB RAM,a built-in 56 Kbps modem and up to 10 hours of battery time. TheIntel strong arm processor clocks in at 190 MHz while the screen isa slim 8.2 inches with 640 x 480 resolution. The keyboard is 90percent of full size and still touch-typeable. A touchpad mousecontrol is a familiar feature borrowed from laptops.

Compaq Aero 8000

Manufacturer: Compaq

Model: Aero 8000

Street Price: $875

Phone: (800) 345-1518

Web Site:http://www.compaq.com

The Aero 8000 comes with a video-out port for running anexternal projector or monitor. The nontouchpad 10-inch screen isthe largest we looked at, but the bundle still comes in under 3pounds. Standard is 16MB RAM, expandable to 64MB. Processor speedis a not-so-peppy 128 MHz. The keyboard is 95 percent of full size.Standard battery life runs as long as seven hours.

Vandem Clio C-1050

Manufacturer: Vadem

Model: Clio C-1050

Street Price: $875

Phone: (888) GO-VADEM

Web Site:http://www.clio.com

The Vadem Clio C-1050 is almost the same machine as the Sharp.However, it features ParaGraph Calligrapher handwriting recognitionsoftware that the Mobilon is lacking. Otherwise, Vadem has theoriginal innovative SwingTop screen for using like a notebook,tablet or presentation device. The MIPS processor is rated at apeppy 168 MHz. It gets a nice memory boost from its 32MB RAM. Thebattery is estimated to last up to 10 hours. For $75 more than theSharp Mobilon, the Clio delivers a lot of extra power.