The Mini 9 has true portability, capability for 2 GB of ram, and SSD. SDD is shockproof, HDD is not. Get a 64 GB SSD and you are set.
As for the Mini 9 keyboard… The mini has the best 9″ netbook keyboard compromise currently out there. it works fine once you learn to use it (unlike the 9″ Eeepc)
I’m not willing to give up the small size for a bigger keyboard. I’m hoping that IBM revives the butterfly keyboard.

As for Keith’s comment about needing a full size keyboard and a optical drive….
If you want those.. then get a regular laptop. You obviously don’t get the point of a netbook.
For home use of a netbook.. get an external keyboard and DVD drive… think of it as a DIY docking station.

First, how is this a unique product compared to the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad x series?

What does this product offer that a Thinkpad x doesn’t. Price?

Second, it is critical to useability that:
- keyboard be truly full size (IBM/Lenovo claim meeting some ISO standard but reality is that the key spacing on an x41 is about 10% tighter than a normal keyboard and yes, I notice the difference).
- not having an optical drive is a bother. The x41 for example requires an expansion base, which is handy for having an LPT port, but in hindsight I’d balance portability with the convenience of a built-in optical drive.

External anythings are a poor alternative with laptops, which are balanced on steering wheels (while parked of course) and even laps.

And beware of 1.8″ hard drives – their connectors are not the same as 2.5″ drives normally used in laptops (I used the plural because their are at least four different connectors in the marketplace – hence using the drive outside of the computer, for data recovery for example, is not practical).