AN HP MINI-NOTE FOR $299: Randy Barnett emails: “Given your interest in mini-notebooks, I thought this would interest you, though it is the Linux version.” Yeah, that’s a good deal. I’ve got the Vista version of the Mini-Note and it’s kinda slow (because of Vista!) but has a great display, good battery life, and a terrific keyboard. The Linux version is probably a lot faster, but I assume the display, battery, and keyboard are the same. This model has flash memory instead of a hard drive, which is faster and more rugged but has a lot less storage. Then again, I’ve hardly used the space on my Mini-Note. I’d say it’s probably a good alternative to an Asus Eee PC – better keyboard and display for the same price.