What about laptops?

The Tech Buyer's Dilemma: Timing the Plunge is an opinion piece on the NPR blog All Tech Considered blog that raises a question we all face: "buy now or wait a bit longer for a better, perhaps cheaper, and shinier gadget to come along."  Recently, I finished digitizing my vinyl record collection with the intention of buying an iPod and carrying the collection all with me.  Talking with a Best Buy geek, he happened to speculate on whether Apple would be coming out with a solid state (i.e., flash drive) iPod and that froze me--buy or wait?  Of course, there's also the move to put all this stuff "in the cloud," so waiting may mean no more iPods at all (unlikely, I know).  So here I sit, frozen by indecision.

Part of me has to ask, "What's wrong with a good old laptop, anyway."  Yes, I'd love to have an iPod, especially for travel, and on a recent week-long vacation all I took was my Kindle (classic).  I love that e-Reader, although on trips I'd appreciate just a bit more robust web application.  So, Kindle Fire?  But for the most part, my laptop is easy to carry and the best for productivity.  Do I really need more?