Price: $799US

Get current pricing here.

Life in the Silicon Valley moves at the speed of business, a lightning-fast rate offering no solace for second place. Portability is key, and an uninitiated observer sitting in the San Jose International Airport would marvel to see 95% of the vigorous travelers taking full advantage of their 1200-minute cell phone calling plans.

In such a technology-oriented community, laptop computers have become a staple, serving as mobile offices when the traditional desktop isn't available. Although high-end models still command a premium price, mid-range laptops have become more affordable and are catching on outside of the business community for more than just word processing (how does a Mobility 128 and wireless gaming sound?).

Often times, however, a laptop isn't the ideal mobile computing solution. A modern system can still weigh seven or eight pounds and won't fit very conveniently into a backpack. Running Windows 98 or 2000 means the specifications of the machine need to be comparable to that of a desktop in order to be feasible. Problems with power consumption, bloated software, and ever-escalating prices have given way to a call for a more portable computer, something capable of combining desktop functionality with ease of use at "a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet." Enter Hewlett Packard and the Handheld PC, more specifically, the HP Jornada 820.