Don't think too long about the PDA. Resolution isn't there. Wife keeps her
photo gallery of grandkids and such on hers, but it's nothing like throwing
the camera memory into the PCMCIA slot, then having 1024x768 and Photoshop
to play with.

Those "return from lease" computers are pretty common, and some are
up-to-date enough. Got a ThinkPad Celeron for $360 from a local college kid
which takes care of photo business, internet browsing, and lesson planning.
Check with a local laptop university for December graduations, they offer to
the holders (who have already paid for them) at an attractive price, but not
all take advantage of it. Daughter bought an $899 new Dell, which works not
one bit faster at common tasks than mine.

"Charlie Self" wrote in message
...

I've got time yet. Helluva lot more of that than money. I don't need the
machine this year, even, but need to have it ready to go about February or
March.

I don't need a 15" screen, either, which is why I'm looking at used
laptops,
but there's no way I'm paying 65% of new prices for a machine that has to
be 3
years old. And that seems to be what a great many of the used sellers are
asking.

As I said, I haven't had time to check locally, but I'm positive that
within a
dozen miles, there's only one such store (there's one in Bedford and it's
a
dozen miles from my house to there).