5" or 7"?

I have always been firmly in the 5" catergory, infact presently I only have 4.5" to play with! I'm referring, of course, to UMPC screen sizes!

Perhaps its since I've started using the Nokia e90 as my permanent phone/ email/ web device or perhaps its something else, but right now my belief in the 4.5" UMPC religion is being tested!

Somehow using a VAIO UX/ OQO e2 or Everun just doesn't seem to be a step up from the Nokia for most things. EG for typing a Blog entry I probably wouldn't use my Communicator...but I'm not sure the VAIO, OQO and certainly the Everun are any better for the task. Without those I then end up on my next level up - the dreaded desktop PC. Being forced back to the desktop is to be avoided at all costs!

I am beginning to see the attraction of a 7" screen in a traditional clamshell laptop design. Something like the Vye Mini V or the very famous Asus eeePC.

The convenience of just opening up the clamshell, sticking it on your lap and being able to read the screen easily from that distance and type easily on a decent built in keyboard is very appealing right now. I say this squinting at a 4.5" 1,024 by 600 display with 120dpi fonts which is sitting on the desk in front of me and typing on a Stowaway foldup keyboard (the type that has the number keys on the top row of text keys (why didn't I listen to James Kendrick's advice on that one and buy the (less sexy) full keyboard version...the answer is in the question)?

The Asus is also only 230 pounds or so which is just staggering value for money. My Nokia cost nearly double that!

Perhaps the Nokia e90 and the Asus eeePC 701 (With XP or Vista installed) will form my winning team? Watch this space!