On Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:32:10 +0000, Larry wrote:

I needed....well, not quite true....WANTED a new laptop. The 17" monsters
eat batteries, are heavy and cumbersome, too much. So, I started
researching netbooks.

In my experience the two most important qualities on a boat computer
are screen brightness and durability. The Panasonic "Toughbook"
models do well on both counts. They are designed for use in the
outdoor environment. I picked up a used CF-48 two years ago for about
$300 and it now has 5,000+ nautical miles on it, all of that spent
exposed to the elements on the flybridge. It has survived numerous
salt spray incidents, one 3 foot drop and a lot of slamming around.