Which Netbook?

I like the Mac laptop.

But it is expensive compared to a netbook made by HP, Asus, Dell, Toshiba, or Acer.  I like the portability factor and long battery life of the new netbooks. I can live with the 10.1" screen. I have no idea what "Windows 7 Starter" means. I think it means, "we're not charging full price for the operating system so we're starting you on something inadequate that will require an upgrade later." For a fee, of course.

I'm not ready for the iPad leap. I am just not hip enough to tote one of those around a Starbucks. Besides I'm not sure it isn't the Apple product-phallus.

Should I upgrade from 1 gig of ram to 2 gigs? 1 gig of ram. How 90's of them. Should I get the DVD external drive? And is the little sleeve they sell with them too much of a man-purse? I think it is.

Any thoughts?

Dogfish Head. Brewpub and Brewery.

Dogfish Head began in June of 1995 in Rehoboth Beach. In 14 years they have grown to be a nationally recognized and distributed beer. In my current hometown of Fort Worth, Texas Dogfish beers are sold at Central Market. If you are visiting Rehoboth and you like beer, you must visit their brewpub on Rehoboth Avenue. The following information is taken from their website:

Not only was Dogfish Head Delaware’s first brewpub, it was the smallest commercial brewery in America. Our very first batch, Shelter Pale Ale, was brewed on a system which essentially was three little kegs with propane burners underneath. Brewing 12–gallon batches of beer for a whole restaurant proved to be more than a full time job. When the doors to the pub first opened, we brewed three times a day, five days a week! The one benefit to brewing on such a small system was the ability to try out a myriad of different recipes. We quickly got bored brewing the same things over and over – that’s when we started adding all sorts of weird ingredients and getting kind of crazy with the beers!

The beer wasn't the brewpub’s only draw. The pub's menu centered on a wood-burning grill. We soon became known as the place to enjoy fresh grilled seafood, burgers, pizzas and sandwiches. The wood–burning grill imparts a unique flavor to everything on the menu, whether it's a hearty sandwich, a delicate piece of fish or our signature pizza dough.

With the popularity of the pub growing, it was quickly apparent that the 12–gallon brewery would not keep up with demand. We built a new brewery and underwent a thirty-fold expansion of the brew house!

The reputation of Dogfish Head ales quickly grew beyond Delaware's borders. Calls from Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and beyond poured in, as thirsty restaurant patrons demanded their favorite beach beer at home. We began bottling our Shelter Pale Ale in 1996 and just 1 year later we expanded again – this time we separated the packaging operation from the restaurant, and kept on brewing! By 1999, we were up to five year–round bottled brands in about a dozen states.

We outgrew our distributing brewery in a couple years and in the summer of 2002; we moved our entire production brewery up the road to Milton, Delaware into a 100,000 square foot converted cannery. Around the same time (just to keep thing interesting), we built a distillery on the second floor of our Rehoboth Beach brewpub, so we could make vodka, rum and gin.

Thanks to all our employees and every one of our customers, Dogfish Head continues to grow today! We’re now up to nearly 20 styles of beer that are sold in more than 25 states, and a half–dozen kinds of hand–crafted spirits... and we still have some ideas in the back of our collective heads.

Dogfish Brewpub
320 Rehoboth Ave
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971.

http://www.dogfish.com/

The Canalside Inn. Small, Quiet, Clean.

The Canalside Inn is a small, newly refurbished hotel on the Rehoboth side of the canal and a 1/4 mile south of Rehoboth Avenue.

My wife and I were looking for a small hotel for a one-night weekend trip and, upon my brother's suggestion, gave the Canalside Inn a try. Here's a summary of our opinion -- I mention my only criticism first:

1. Double bed room: very small room with no chair. This is not a problem for a one night stay especially since the room is only occupied for the sleeping hours. But with just a few guests at the hotel that weekend I'm not sure why the owners wouldn't ask us to upgrade to a nicer room at a discount.

If you plan a longer stay and have more than one person, it may be a little cramped.

2. Room cleanliness, View, Bed comfort, Quietness? Great, no complaints at all.

3. Breakfast buffet. Nothing fancy, what one expects when it is included in the room price: bagels, cereal, juice, muffins.

4. Location. For us, good. But if you are looking to walk back and forth to the beach it may be a bit of a hike. Canalside Inn has the benefit of being away from the noisy Rehoboth Avenue crowds, which for us is worth the extra block or two of walking.

Price? Winter weekend rate: $82.00.

Will I stay again? Absolutely, but I will ask for a bigger room.