Help! I'm looking for a new, cheap travel laptop/netbook

[Dutch]

I'd like to get a small laptop (less than 14" screen) or a netbook.

I need it to...

1. Run FOF, so it has to have 1024x768 resolution... :)
2. Win7, MS Office, wireless net adapter...
3. Be less than $500 (I won't be using it when I'm at home)
4. Have a sturdy keyboard (the reason I say this is my Dell Inspiron keyboard is flimsy and is falling apart at the seams...pretty much hate Dell now because of it...)
5. Compact/small (this would be my new travelling laptop)

There are a million choices, so I'll take any advice or personal experiences you have so I can hopefully get the most laptop/netbook for my dollar.

Thanks.

[Desnudo]

If you like the Thinkpad look, this is a good option

Lenovo ThinkPad X120e 0596 - Fusion 1.5 GHz - 11.6″ - 2 GB Ram - 320 GB HDD (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=lenovo+x120e&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18328100049386381719&sa=X&ei=XhvpTaKHO4Pq0gH04tC5AQ&ved=0CG4Q8wIwAA#)

[Drake]

We bought about 40 of the x120e's at work that we used as "desktop replacements" in a virtual computing environment. They're solid little buggers, and we even had folks using Adobe CS5 products on them (as non-virtualized software).

What we discovered was that intensive apps (like anything Adobe) will eat them up over the space of a few hours, so I worry about heavy processing with an Oracle 10g client (though I note you removed that from your list of requirements), but if you're only talking about using it a few hours at a time, I think it would meet your needs. The x120e's we have also didn't seem to have the wonky wireless cut-outs that I've experienced with Acer netbooks. Overall, we were pretty happy with them. I wouldn't have one as my one-and-only work PC, but they're solid for what they are.

[Rizon]

Cheap Notebook

Mead 6206 5 Star Notebook (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=OQu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=paper+notebook&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1680&bih=886&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11178893169143859216&sa=X&ei=6SPpTdH7BIXWtQOe2az9DQ&ved=0CDMQ8gIwAQ)

1. Run FOF, so it has to have 1024x768 resolution...
8.5 x 11 resolution, can run File Or Files

2. Win7, MS Office, wireless net adapter...
It's win, plus can be put in any office, is wireless

3. Be less than $500 (I won't be using it when I'm at home)
Range from about $3 to $10

4. Have a sturdy keyboard (the reason I say this is my Dell Inspiron keyboard is flimsy and is falling apart at the seams...pretty much hate Dell now because of it...)
Not too sturdy, but can be replaced easily. Uses Hand and Pen Technology

5. Compact/small (this would be my new travelling laptop)
Very compact and great for travel

[QuikSand]

Cheap Notebook

Mead 6206 5 Star Notebook (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=OQu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=paper+notebook&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1680&bih=886&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=11178893169143859216&sa=X&ei=6SPpTdH7BIXWtQOe2az9DQ&ved=0CDMQ8gIwAQ)

Shipping kills this deal.

[Dutch]

I was done at Hand and Pen technology...unfortunately, there is no convenient way to articulate how much of deal breaker that is on a message board.

[Dutch]

We bought about 40 of the x120e's at work that we used as "desktop replacements" in a virtual computing environment. They're solid little buggers, and we even had folks using Adobe CS5 products on them (as non-virtualized software).

What we discovered was that intensive apps (like anything Adobe) will eat them up over the space of a few hours, so I worry about heavy processing with an Oracle 10g client (though I note you removed that from your list of requirements), but if you're only talking about using it a few hours at a time, I think it would meet your needs. The x120e's we have also didn't seem to have the wonky wireless cut-outs that I've experienced with Acer netbooks. Overall, we were pretty happy with them. I wouldn't have one as my one-and-only work PC, but they're solid for what they are.

I removed Oracle because it's only a temporary need (next few months) and I didn't think it would be that intensive in a testing only environment.

I'll definately consider this...very compact, that's for the review.

[Dutch]

Settled on a Toshiba Satellite M645.

http://bestthinlaptops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Toshiba-Satellite-L645-1146X.png

It's a solid low to mid range laptop for my needs. And it's really not much bigger than the netbooks, so I can stow it away in travel bags if neccessary.