Looking for a budget portable chess computer

A chess program for a smartphone is probably the best choice. You don't have to look at the screen, just supplement it with a small portable magnetic chess set.

I like Excalibur KingMaster III

Ive had mine for several years and it has many different levels to provide you with a challenge for a long time to come. It'll run you about $40 retail, but you should be able to find it even cheaper online. If you Google it, you'll find a few different videos/reviews of it.

I just got a Saitek Mephisto Maestro and I absolutely love it. It's a bargain at under 100$ and is useful for so many things (quick analysis, serves as a portable board so you can read books (really easy to try variations and then go back to original position).

It's a lot of fun to play against too if you have the coaching features turned on, and will give you a "rating" when you play longer games. Highly recommended.

Oops...just reread your first message more carefully and realised that I missed the fact that you did not want a Mephisto. :(  If it helps at all, I did see a couple for around 75$ just before Christmas.

It's this one...

http://www.wholesalechess.com/chess/chess_computers/handheld_chess_computers/saitek_mephisto_maestro_travel_chess_computer_handheld

I just wrote a long review raving about it, but my comment hasn't been approved yet. I came close to getting a Nintendo DS to play games on the bus, but was very turned off by what I saw chesswise for it, so I got this instead. I absolutely love it and it's so nice to be able to go through chess books in the bus, on the subway. I bring it everywhere! I can see improvement in my play already.

Another link since it looks like I got the last one at Wholesale Chess..

http://www.chess.com/eq/chess+computers/saitek-mephisto-maestro-travel-chess-computer-handheld2