There are only two directions the notebook-computer world can go: smaller and more powerful or larger and more powerful.
A few weeks ago I looked at an example of the former - a Sony Vaio that was among the smallest and lightest notebooks I have ever seen.
The disadvantage of small models is that almost everything we consider essential becomes external, including floppy-disk and CD-Rom drives. There also is so little room for printer and serial ports that the machines often come with a 'replicator' or device containing these ports.
This is fine if your main concern is weight. However, there are others who want as much power as they can get, regardless of what this means in terms of size.
Apple and Digital produce large notebook computers that are almost as powerful as a desktop. The latest from Digital is the HiNote VP 735.
It has a 233 MHz Pentium with MMX, 4 GB hard disk, 13.3-inch XGA TFT colour screen capable of a 1024 x 768 pixel resolution and a 20X CD-Rom drive.
The most impressive thing about this machine is the screen size. Until quite recently, the only way to get 1024 x 768 resolution was to buy a 17 inch monitor. At this resolution, the screen only supports 16-bit colour, but most people who want a PC will not mind.