I choosed it for the specs, and nowdays there aren't many options on low budget systems.
As for the soundcards, and mobility issue, the lap is a desktop replacement in my case, tho it's handy to carry around with a small midi keyboard in a bag, and in order to keep that, the soundcard can't be too bulky imho, or the racked desktop will probably be a better replacement.
The battery part isn't likely to be the issue, more like and extra if ever needed on occasional usage in a mobility context i.e traveling, or @ cafe or@ beach
That 1x I/O seemed interesting, providing a DSP (for FX?) and compact usage, although it's cardbus II and my laptop only has xpress card slot.
