It's an all-USB machine, with three ports on the main body.
Ethernet is an extra option, or available via PC card.
The unit is very quiet. It runs Windows 9x Win 2000, and comes with a three-year warranty. If you're creating multimedia, such as audio interviews or editing digital photographs in the field, you'll want the lightest, fastest machine with the best display you can find. There are other units that have similar specs, but none pull the whole package off as neatly as the FXi. The extra size and heft are well worth it, however.