From: 	wbaird@NMSU.Edu[SMTP:wbaird@NMSU.Edu]

in a sense it's smaller and cheaper...but you have energy requirements for 
life support, etc.  I haven't read it yet ($$$), but when I do....:)

Life support: pre-installed
Construction: pre-installed.
Energy requirements: How much do you need to run a computer and some refrigeration equipment? And all this stuff can fit into a house.

You see, the device does have it's limits in transfer mode. However, it happens to be a _minimum_ limit. The object to be transfered must be at least 20 km across with a average density of 1/cm^3. The only objects above that range are asteroids and planets. No one is going to bother building anything that big and solid, it's uneconomical, especially when you can asteroids handy. You haven't read it yet? Pity. It's great. I hope he writes a sequel soon.