She's already juggling countless priorities and rushing from home to school to work and back again, so don't weigh her down with a heavy laptop.
On the light and easy side, ASUS's EeePC 701 is highly portable, cute, and will easily slip in any handbag. If your mum is used to Windows, make sure to request that version or you might end up with the Linux installed version. We'd recommend the ASUS EeePC 900 over this because of the 8.9-inch screen, but Mother's Day will likely be gone before it's released. Maybe a gift voucher?
Also on the light and tiny side is HP's 2133, which is a little more sophisticated in its design than EeePC, and offers a bigger keypad for easier typing.
If she's a business user that doesn't mind Lenovo's ruggedised looks, the Thinkpad X300 is extremely hard to pass up, being powerful, thin, light, and unlike the MacBook Air, highly featured. Being a Lenovo, it's highly unlikely to break easily, either.
For those who don't mind a bit of luxury and the good looks to go with it, it's either Apple's MacBook or HP's Thrive, depending on whether mum is a Mac or Windows person. Or whether she likes white or red!
Finally if touchpads or navigation sticks aren't her thing, buy her a separate, portable mouse — it may not be pretty but the Logitech VX Revolution notebook mouse is the best you can get.
Apple MacBook (White, 2.16GHz)
The latest MacBook looks identical to the old model but benefits from faster components. As a result, it's even better value for money.
Asus EeePC 701 
The EeePC isn't for everyone — in fact within about two seconds from picking it up you'll know if it's for you or not. For those it does appeal to, it's a brilliant little thing that fills a much lamented gap.
HP 2133 Mini-Note
Despite an underpowered CPU, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC offers the best balance of small size, comfort, and functionality we've seen in a mini-notebook, making it fast a favourite for on-the-go use.
HP Pavilion dv6724TX Special Edition "Thrive"
HP has well and truly hit its stride with its laptops, and the dv6700 Special Edition series represents a new level in quality. Unless your needs involve being ultramobile, requiring gigabit ethernet or requiring HSDPA, you shouldn't be disappointed with this machine.
Lenovo ThinkPad X300
The newest addition to the ThinkPad X series incorporates the best of the MacBook Air, with the best of the Portege R500, while also adding its own great features, such as a built-in DVD burner, WWAN connectivity, and GPS.
Logitech VX Revolution
The Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks is the ultimate mousing experience on the go, providing comfort, performance, and features in a travel-friendly form factor. If you can afford its price, you won't be disappointed.
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