More on the PDA idea: there is a gadget made especially for writers and students with an 80 character display and full size keyboard. It's a heavily modified palm PDA, not a very powerful processor (68000) but really long battery life and the option to use AA batteries. I havn't seen one of these running, but I guess they can use the normal Palm office suites. Of course if you want something more portable, as mentioned before: the PDA idea - if you choose one with a really large screen that you can use in landscape mode with a fold-out keyboard that allows landscape typing (think the infra-red ones do that).
Oh... almost forgot - the URL is
www.alphasmart.com
Anyone with any impressions? I have been tempted, but am currently happy with my palm and fold-out keyboard.