For basic business apps, today's top-drawer portables pack all the power you need. You'll want a minimum 3GB hard drive and an active-matrix screen no smaller than 13.3 inches. All the workhorseportables we tested meet these criteria. It's the finest portable you can buy. But power isn't the only thing you want in a workhorse portable.
Flexibility is key.
For many, packing all the features of a desktop system is asking too much of a notebook. But all of them take usability hits in one form or another. And the range of prices among machines is staggering. If there's any rule to follow in finding an ultraportable, it's to think specifically about your traveling needs. And shop carefully.