Lets start with the mandatory...

1. What is your budget?
$900 max, would like to spend a little less

2. Would you consider purchasing used/refurbished?
Yes

3. Do you prefer a Slate, Convertible or Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)?
Slate preferred - mainly for weight reasons

4. What size Tablet PC would you prefer?
Either of:
Compact ~ 10"
Mainstream ~ 12.1"

5. Which country do you intent to purchase from?
US

6. Do you have any preferences to brand loyalty or dislikes?
No

7. How many hours battery life do you require?
8-10 would be ideal - willing to use external battery pack or add on

8. What will be the primary usage scenario of this tablet? (Email/Web Surfing/Drawing/Word Processing/Entertainment/Notetaking etc)

EMail and Web a LOT. Some Photo Editing ideally. Some Word Processing as Well.

9. Do you have an OS preference?
Win 7

10. What software and tasks do you intend to run? (Microsoft Office or other Word Processing Suite/Photoshop/3D Studio Max/Autocad etc)
Paint.Net, Firefox, Chrome, Google Docs

10. Do you intend on playing Games? If so please list.
Not really


Screen Specifics

1. What resolution do you prefer?
Open

2. Do you require the screen to be readable in sunlight?
Ideally, but not a huge requirement

3. Do you prefer your display to be glossy or matte?
NP

4. Do you require Touch? (without pressure sensitivity) (Which one: resistive or capacitive)
Capacitive

5. Do you require a Pen? (with pressure sensitivity) (Which one: Wacom or N-Trig)
No


With that out of the way, I am primarily comparing the three slates I've mentioned in my subject - the MSI 110W or Gigabyte S1080 or Asus EP121. Took a look at the Samsung but they are too expensive, and too new to get a good deal on a refurbished. Of the remaining 3 it appears the Asus has the best performance, but the Gigabyte has an external battery that will clip on to give almost a full day without a recharge. On the other hand I assume I could carry an external to recharge the Asus?

Main concern with not looking at a convertible (I've owned a couple) is that its hard to find one in my price range that is under three pounds. However maybe there's one I've missed.

One of my big needs that is moving me from looking at a regular laptop is I need to be able to look at some photos and other things I work with in Portrait mode. So on a regular laptop I'd have to get at least a 17" to be able to make the image big enough.

Hoping that y'all can help me make up my mind as I am looking to buy in the next couple of weeks. TIA!