Gerzel's Journal: Getting something to write with to go

I am considering getting a second computer to use at school to take notes and compose reports and other articles. My primary computer is a desktop running Ubuntu Linux which I update often. I am looking to spend no more than $500 to $750 USD. I want something that is easy to carry, and reasonably rugged given school life is often less than optimal for keeping computer equipment in good shape. Besides typing I would also like the ability to handle pdfs, and internet wi-fi capability. Just because I run Linux on my home machine does not mean that I have to run Linux on this new machine. Any suggestions as to what I might get?

ps My handwriting is very poor and slow compared to my typing speed thus a pen and paper are not reasonable alternatives.