kicked the tires

Was feeling a bit of cabin fever so ventured out. Ticked some boxes on the errands list. And did a bit of window shopping (no pun intended).

I need to shop for a small computer. To replace the ASUS Eec PC netbook. To run SkyTools in the field, at the telescope. Small, light-weight. Doesn't need to be a screamer. Doesn't need to do image processing.

OK, maybe not that small...

At Staples, I ambled into the computer section.

I looked at and touched a few small machines. I've very curious about the current crop of ASUS units. They have some flip-type portable computers. Do I need a slate?

And then I saw a tiny Microsoft machine. A MS Surface computer. I was surprised by the form factor! Nearly exactly the size of the old trusty netbook. Wow.

[ed: I believe I spotted a Microsoft Surface Laptop Go at $759.99, regularly $959.99.]

Expensive though. Well. Comparatively.

Would a $300 or $400 small thin laptop do the job? Should I budget for more?

When the Surface machines came out, it went through my mind "never in a million years."

But this was the best looking machine of the right size!

I thought I should reach out to people I know who have used them... perhaps an early adopter.