The dilemma with laptops is that their most coveted attributes– affordability and portability– are priced almost exclusively in inverse relation to one another. But, while Apple seems intent on pioneering the first laptop to both fold into an actual piece of notebook paper and cost a million dollars, alternative PC companies like Asus and Wal-Mart-sold Everex are leading a new trend in the market: the bargain laptop. Both the Asus Eee PC and its kindred competitor, the Everex CloudBook start at $399. But while the CloudBook has beefier specs and, thus, markets itself as a cheaper, primary-laptop alternative to mainstream brands, the Asus is built more as a second laptop, a more portable compliment to the workhorse you already own. That is to say, in addition to a very stylish design, what’s most appealing about the Eee PC, rather counterintuitively, is what it doesn’t have.

The philosophy behind the Eee is: no extra muscle means no extra weight. It’s essentially a micro laptop. Ideal for a quick business trip, a sunny vacation or a crowded subway commute, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. Weighing in at just 2lbs., it sports a 7-inch LCD screen, a modest but very capable 512 MB of RAM, built-in wireless LAN, and a frequent-flier-friendly 3.5-hour battery. But, like you, it’s not all business; it also has a built-in webcam and microphone, with pre-loaded Linux* software for webchat capabilities. The drawbacks are obvious ones. Word is that the keyboard can feel cramped at times, and it only comes in 2 ipod-nano-like hard drive sizes– 4GB and 8GB. But, its extreme lack of added weight and cool looks (in titanium silver or clean white) more than compensate. And, even if you have to bring an external hard drive along, your net weight is still well under that of the MacBook Pro (5.6 lbs) you left at home. On top of all that, the Asus Eee PC is 100% guaranteed to make you look and feel like an international spy/professional hacker-for-hire (think Ving Rhames in Mission Impossible.)

*The Eee PC is also compatible with Windows

Buy: $399

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