If the keys aren't regulation size, the notebook is a nonstarter for me. Any key spacing less than 19 mm throws off my typing. Then it's all over, despite any other incredible features an ultraportable packs. Key spacing, or key pitch, is the distance between comparable spots on two adjacent keys. If the distance is 7.125 inches, the keyboard is 95 percent, and 6.75 inches is 90 percent.
Real notebooks have real displays.
You really want XGA resolution, or 1,024 by 768 pixels. There's typically a video-out and a USB port, but you may need the separate expansion bar if you want to connect parallel, serial, or possibly an external drive. Larger notebooks have two PC Card slots, and they're starting to add two USB connectors. Real notebooks have two drives. An internal CD drive weighs less than 10 ounces and an external drive weighs about a pound.