Contest software and computer question
 

I'm getting back on the air after 10 years of only occasional
operating. Simple station -- old IC-729 HF+6 xcvr, OCF dipole only 25
feet up; keyer, ant tuner, other accessories; couple of QRP rigs, too.

Station is very compact -- everything sits on a 3X3 foot table with a
shelf and there's no room for expansion.

Back in the day, I used CT contesting software and still have CT
loaded on a laptop computer. This laptop has a real serial (COM) port
and it enables me to use CT with my rig.

However, when I use the laptop with the station, I am so cramped for
space I almost cannot operate.

My daughter has one of these new mini laptops and it fits nicely on
the table with my station. I'd like to get one to use with the
station but I have a couple of questions:

1. The mini laptop runs Vista. Will CT run as a DOS program under
Vista?

2. The mini laptop has only USB ports, no COM port. Are there
USB-to-COM ports that I could use?

3. OR, would someone suggest another contesting software that's as
simple and easy to use as CT that will operate under Vista using the
USB port to key the rig?

I especially like the CT feature that allows programming the FUNCTION
keys with various CW messages -- if I replace CT, would like to find
something that has the same or similar feature.

Thanks.