My main computers are desktops in various offices where I consistently work along with a MacBook that travels with me. A lot of my work is stored online. Some I carry on an external hard drive.

My netbook is a standalone computer as a personal electronic assistant. It has limited interaction with the desktops/MB except I might transfer some pictures or video clips. I carry it with an iPod Touch. They work well together.

I use my netbook for language study, health record keeping, personal continuing education, some iPod video viewing and, rarely, some office work. Several of my programs are Windows only. I run Linux on a SD card for the card games and just as a backup OS.

While I get by with USB, I prefer Firewire and would really like an eSATA port. The Atom can easily handle USB but for more bit/byte moving with the faster ports a faster CPU/chipset/FSB/RAM set would be needed on, I think, a separate computer. I don't feel the need to push the netbook to more robust hardware at higher cost. I'm not prepared to move to HD video. I'm still shooting SD and editing SD.

I find VGA-out limiting. I'd like something like Apple's mini-DisplayPort that with a simple adaptor could connect to a variety of screen types. I don't actually share my netbook data with anyone so in effect VGA doesn't get used.

My take. Just saying.