We just got back from a vacation in Maine, where we stayed in a home where electricity is intermittent, and television reception non-existent. It's a good thing to do. Like many people, we tend to get a little TV-dependent. Watching eagles, ospreys and grandchildren running on the beach is better.

But a couple of times we did break down and let the kids watch a movie on our Mini Home Theater - a laptop computer and a ZVOX Mini. The whole theater - complete with a bunch of DVDs - fits in one fairly small backpack. And on those rainy days, it was nice to have around.

It's remarkable how much enjoyment everybody got out of this little system. Laptop computers have great video quality. And the Mini performed like a champ -- filling the cabin with high quality surround sound. And the whole thing took up less space than a bag of groceries.