Also in this issue:

• Drinks
  Cabernet Cult
• Cigar Stars
  The Quiet Man
• Cuba Report
  On the Road to Tobacco Country
• Golf
  Chasing the Dream
• Up Front
  Insights: Investing
• More from this Issue

Laptops of Luxury

Our Nominees for the Portable Computer Haul of Fame

Steve Morgenstern
From the Print Edition:
The Cuba Issue, May/Jun 01

Gateway Solo 3350

For the traveler who wants maximum comfort and convenience in an ultraportable computer, this wafer-thin Gateway is a terrific choice. The Solo 3350 delivers a bright, high-resolution 12.1-inch display in a computer weighing just 3.65 pounds -- a noteworthy accomplishment. The combination of lightness and slimness (one inch) makes this laptop extremely easy to transport -- I usually carry mine in a standard briefcase instead of a bulky notebook carrying case. The 600-MHz Pentium III processor is more than adequate for business and multimedia computing tasks, while the light-blue magnesium alloy case adds ruggedness and good looks to the package.

All the essential expansion ports, including Ethernet, are included, along with a capacious 6-gigabyte hard drive. To maintain its slender profile, the 3350 doesn't include a built-in floppy or CD-ROM drive, though an external floppy is included (an accessory CD-ROM costs $99, a DVD-ROM $199). Battery life (two hours) is only so-so -- pack a spare if you're flying far.

Prices start at $1,999; www.gateway.com, 1-800-846-2000

Sony VAIO PCG-C1VN PictureBook

This one-of-a-kind laptop brings distinctive Sony style to the ultraportable world -- and 2.2 pounds is about as "ultra" portable as you can get while running the full-fledged Windows operating system and retaining a touch-type keyboard. It's a great traveling machine, especially if you're scrunched into a coach seat and the lunkhead in front of you decides to lean back for a snooze. The screen isn't as deep vertically as a standard display, but it's bright and crisp, and shows a full-screen width.

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