HITACHI ePLATE HPW-630ET ($1,500)

Doctors, teachers, and sales reps alike can enjoy the tablet-style ePlate. It’s as portable and durable as a clipboard, and multi-
talented, too. Use the colorful 8.2-inch display as a show-and-tell tool in board meetings, during rounds, or on sales calls. With a built-in 56K modem, flashcard, and USB port, you can add printer, scanner, or mouse; connect to the Internet; even hook up with a wide-screen monitor for seminars and lecture halls. (800) 448-2244
INTERMEC 700 (around $1,500)

Don’t let its small size fool you. There are no “Fragile” stickers on this baby. The power of a 206MHz Intel StrongARM processor and 32MB memory make running programs a snap, while wireless access to your company’s networks saves time when sending e-contracts, updating charts, and writing credit card sales. But all this speed doesn’t compromise battery performance. You’ll get up to 10 hours per charge. www.intermec.com.
PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK 72 (around $3,400)

With its sleek lines, 6.4-pound weight, and pretty 13.3-inch
active-matrix display, this notebook’s moniker might seem a misnomer. But no worries here, not even for the klutzes among us. A magnesium-alloy case and shock-mounted hard drive pro-
tect against the occasional droppage, and a spill-resistant keyboard means your double-shot latte won’t gum up the works. www.panasonic.com/toughbook