Jriley,
I have the EEEpc 4G with an additional 4G card for storage of the images.. I quoted the battery life from the manual, but I'm sure you can improve on that. I would typically only shoot about3 Panos at the most in one day so I have not had any problem with Battery life.
At the end of the day the battery is recharged when connected to the power when downloading. I have thought of using the Dry cell pack I carry for the head to power the EEEpc as well but have not gone any further with it.

To tived
I have Breeze systems DSLR Remote pro and find it very good for HDR work . If you are shooting bracketed images form a uniform base exposure then you can use Papywizard software for that. I like to adjust the base exposure of each tile, by using DSLR remote's Preview button and then after consulting the histogram, set the brackets. This method suits my style and you may have  a different method, But to each his own. I notice that OZBIGBEN likes to automate the process more and thats ok also.
I also us the tripod that is supplied with the Merlin Head. Its sturdy enough for most situations and light enough to carry about. The Head poses more of a problem when walking but on easy places I leave the head attached to the tripod and carry it over my shoulder. The I have a bag for the battery, EEEpc and  a lense. Works for me.
John