Mobile professionals need not feel disconnected from the rest of the world. That said, carrying around a full-sized laptop everywhere you go can be a pretty big pain, especially if you have a pretty big notebook computer. Sure, you could opt for a business handheld like an HP iPAQ or some other Windows Mobile smartphone, but browsing the web on these smaller devices just isn’t the same as working with an actual computer.

Finding the healthy medium between a compact PDA phone and a full-sized laptop is the Asus Eee PC 701, which you can see above. It features a 7-inch display, meaning that it is significantly bigger than most PDA phones (which have 3-inch screens at best), but it’s also a lot more compact than even the most ultraportable notebook computers (which don’t come much smaller than 11- or 12-inches). It’s obviously not quite as feature-packed as a notebook, but with a full QWERTY keyboard and an ultra-efficient version of Linux running the show, it beats surfing the web on an iPhone.

The current version available in Canada comes equipped with a 4GB solid state drive and an efficient Intel Celeron processor. There are no moving parts and the build quality is supposed to be top-notch. The chassis has next to zero flex, so you can feel a lot better with the Asus Eee PC than you would with a budget notebook that costs twice as much. Naturally, the Eee PC will not replace your primary computer, but it does come in handy for frequent travelers.

For a more in-depth discussion of the Asus Eee PC, as well as a rundown of its core features, check out the hands-on article at FutureLooks.com.