Thanks for the thread--it had some good comments about the Clearvue mini-cyclone. As for portable units, I've only looked at the Delta models at the local Lowes and wasn't too impressed--I'm not sure I'd get a lot of performance for the price and they take up a good bit of space that is increasingly at a premium. From what I've read, the Oneida-Air unit would be an excellent portable DC, but at a premium price. The cyclone isn't so expensive that purchasing it now would impair future upgrading. I think I'll probably give it a try and report back.