Latitude X300

The 3-pound Dell Latitude X300 provides almost everything you could want in an ultraportable notebook. The only drawbacks are smallish typing keys and a standard battery.The X300 offers several ways to configure for the road. For back-and-forth commuting, the standard battery keeps weight down but delivers only 2 hours 20 minutes of life. We would opt for the $129 extended battery, which adds half a pound to the weight but delivers a more satisfying 5:50 of runtime. That puts the X300 in the same league as the class-leading IBM ThinkPad X31 with its extended battery. Dell's $199 MediaBase can house a second battery as well as the included optical drive.