[JesseK]

If you get 10 productive runtime hours from a netbook running wireless, you should post it here so we can shout it to the world and rejoice.

In all seriousness though, the longevity of the netbooks will degrade over time just like it does with all batteries. This year and next year the netbooks may be great, but in 3-4 years you'll probably be down to 1-2 hours of battery life max. If you can afford 6 netbooks, I'd recommend buying 3 netbooks and some spare batteries and an extra charger or two. It isn't a large leap in expectations to count the beans on two robots instead of one. Like a fine wine, if you put the spare batteries in storage for a couple of years you will reap the rewards when you finally use them, netting you more longevity of scouting with those netbooks rather than purchasing new (or dealing with lack of satisfaction) long-term.