If you’ve seen these new teensy laptops and wondered if it’d be a good fit, well, let me tell you about mine.

I got my Dell mini a) b/c I’m a big fan of Dell computers (they’ve yet to let me down…compared to other brands which shall remain nameless.) b) I wanted something smaller and more portable than my big ‘ol laptop that I could use for nothing but my writing and c) it was inexpensive (compared to a full lap top.)

It’s more powerful than my current laptop with a much bigger hard drive. It has a memory card slot that just happens to be the one my camera uses (which is oh so useful for when I need to upload pics to flickr.)

Here's Bitsy on my new reading chair.

But you’re probably wondering about things like screen size, keyboard size, and the touchpad, am I right?

Well, I’ll admit I was a smidge worried about the monitor and keyboard, it is after all a Mini laptop. What I’ve discovered is…this thing is super light weight. The screen size, 10 inches, is plenty big enough to write on. And the keyboard, at 92% the size of a regular keyboard, allows me to type faster.

If you plan on writing for hours at a time, I recommend getting a wireless ergonomic keyboard and I’d recommend that for anyone who writes for hours at a time no matter what kind or size computer you have. This is the case for the mini simply because after hours of use I feel, well, a bit like a sardine in a can… a bit squished. But I don’t find this to be an issue when my husband is driving down the road and I’m typing up a quick blog post or writing the last half of that chapter.

Why did I opt for this over an Alphasmart? I like to do my research while I’m writing. Actually, I have two ways I do research, but that’s a whole other article. But for quick look ups on thesauraus.com or babynames.com or wikipedia.com, this is great for that. If you’re easily distracted, I recommend turning the internet connection off until you really need it. The Alphasmart is better at keeping you in the zone if all you need is a word processor.

But over all, I love my mini. Her name is Bitsy. As in, Itsy Bitsy. And she is so light weight that I can carry her in one hand and a drink in the other…all the way across the house and up the stairs.

And for those of you artsy folks wondering what color Bitsy is, she’s sleek and elegant in obsidian black. But the Dell minis come in 6 colors.

Learn more | Other items in the CataU store

You might also be interested in:

1. Day 7 Week 1 in Review Okay. It’s been one week. How’s your writing going? Are you all fired up? Is your keyboard on fire because your fingers have been moving so fast? :hot If so you’re doing better than me. Often when I start a story it starts out slow. I love the way it...
2. Quick Tip: Let the Holidays Inspire your Writing Did you witness a holiday meltdown? How about a moment of kindness? Use the emotions, memories, and moments of the holidays to enrich your writing. Jot down a list and keep it in your writing file. Refer back to it when you need an idea. Related posts:Quick Tip: Writing Tools...
3. The 15 Minute Synopsis Write a synopsis in 15 minutes? Impossible? No, author Sharon Page has written a quick “blurb” synopsis for a story in 15 minutes, and sold it! Sharon’s tips will help everyone build a synopsis just as efficiently, and she will reveal the most important secret to writing one quickly. This...