By Peter Wolchak and Photography By Meek Kapuszczak

While it is true that most notebooks are created the same, there is still a lot of innovation going on out there. Each of these three units has something unique to offer.

A tablet to take with you
Motion Computing LS800
While technically not a notebook—is it a slate tablet PC—the LS800 can replace a notebook. It runs Windows XP Tablet Edition, is about the size of a large paperback book and weighs only 2.2 pounds.

Away from a desk users can write directly on the screen, make VoIP phone calls, access corporate data or e-mail, and interact with vertical applications like order entry or medical systems. Docked to a keyboard and full-size screen at a desk, the LS800 works like a normal computer. Pricing starts at $2,010.

Nice notebook, fewer worries
Keating KN500
Keating Technologies recently entered the notebook market with an interesting value proposition: rather than dazzle with tech bells and whistles, the company promises peace of mind through superior support and warranty coverage. Keating’s Rest Assured Services include 24/7 support, product replacement, a no-lemon guarantee and power surge protection.

The KN500 starts at $1,970.

Have a computer? Then you have TV
Sling Media’s Slingbox
It’s possible for even technophiles to become blasé about new gadgets: higher-capacity MP3 players, bigger plasma TVs, smaller cellphones, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And then along comes one of those I’ve-wanted-this-forever products.

The Slingbox takes your TV signal and makes it available on any Internet-connected computer. Watch TV on a notebook in your bedroom, or from your office, or from a hotel room in Singapore. You can change channels and watch shows recorded on your personal video recorder.

The Slingbox sits in between your broadband router and a TV cable connection, cable box, satellite receiver or digital video recorder. It retails for $299 and there are no monthly fees. Also available is the SlingLink, which uses your home’s electrical system to link the Slingbox to your Internet signal. At $129, it’s a solution for people whose TV and computer are in different rooms.

First Intel-powered Mac notebook
Apple MacBook Pro
You can buy a MacBook Pro just to look at; it is easily the most attractive portable computer on the market. It’s fun too. The MacBook comes with a remote for controlling DVD playback, and the built-in iSight camera can be used for videoconferencing but, along with the onboard Photo Booth application, also lets you create warped and funny pictures of yourself.

But the real news is the Intel Core Duo processor, a first for a Mac notebook. The Pro retails for $2299.

Web GEAR
Apple Canada http://www.apple.ca
Keating Technologies http://www.keating.com
Motion Computing http://www.motioncomputing.com
Sling Media http://www.slingmedia.com