07-28-2005, 09:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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The Minimalist Road Warrior's Guide to "Traveling Light" using a Pocket PC
"The 2003 Microsoft "MVP" Summit provided the ideal test for making an extended trip using only a Pocket PC and leaving the laptop at home...Before discovering the Pocket PC and having lugged a series of "portables" around which included a thirty pound Kaypro, my feet, back and shoulders constantly gave me adamant demands to reduce the load until my most recent travelling companion had been the two plus pound Sony Vaio "PictureBook" which yielded an acceptable laptop "carry weight" total of 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilos) when the minimal essential laptop accessories were included. My educated guess at the summit would be that the majority of attendees were hauling about 15 pounds of computer and gear with some likely approaching the 25 to 30 pound range. That works out to around 5.6 tons of gear making unreasonable transport demands on 1496 sore feet and other parts of the human frame, not to mention that a significant fraction thereof was transported by air from around the world for this event alone."
Beverly Howard has updated his article on travelling light, and it's a very interesting read. Though I always take my Pocket PC with me on trips, I have to admit that I still can't leave my laptop behind. Email is something that I do a great deal of, and Pocket Inbox is still too lacking in the types of features I need (especially IMAP support). If you're interested in travelling light, make sure to give this article a thorough read. What kind of gear do you travel with, and what kind of strategies do you use to keep from lugging too much gear?
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07-28-2005, 10:17 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 392
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wherever i go never leave home with:
- my cellphone (in japan, we still have to catch up with integrated smartphones)
- my wallet (and credit cards, insurance cards, "assistance" cards, etc.)
- my Axim x50v (fully loaded including Card Export 2)
for extended business trips, vacations, etc:
- extra 1100mAh Axim battery
- retractable USB Sync/Charge cable
- wall adapter for USB (5V at 1000mAh)
- BT headset (for making Skype calls/listen to MP3s when necessary)
- super slim Canon digital camera (SD-card based)
- CF-based modem card/CF-based ethernet card
- travel WiFi router with ethernet/modem functionality (for use in hotels)
that's all... eh, notebooks/laptops? what are those?
for me i have forgotten about those heavy devices for years now! havent carried a laptap in 3 years now...
cheers!!!
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07-28-2005, 10:57 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 899
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Did Beverly mention what kind of bags/cases he uses?
I've been looking to get a new laptop bag, and was wondering how good RoadWired's MegaMedia bag is. I need a light bag for my ThinkPad X-series or T-series, but which has enough room and compartments to also carry some documents and all my gadgets/cables.
Can't decide between lighter/cheaper nylon or the heavier but classier leather...
Up to now I've been using mostly various Targus/IBM ThinkPad bags (currently I'm using the ThinkPad Leather Attache). My family member likes the bigger convertible rolling case...
I can't understand how some people get by with just a laptop "sleeve" case 
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07-28-2005, 11:15 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,043
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While Beverly's article did include a lot of business/journalist oriented tips and equipment, there was also what seemed to be about an equal weighting towards the entertainment side. No problem, only it seemed slightly out of place in a 'road warrior' article. I am not a road warrior, whatever that is, so tell me - anyone - am I way off base with this comment?
One thing which seemed startlingly lacking was an external folding keyboard. How one could even consider writing thousands of words (such as the article itself) using a thumboard or stylus is beyond the pale for most users. I used to do it, back before winter of 2001 when I got my first Stowaway. I still write the odd 500 words or so with a stylus, but for most anything beyond that a Belkin or other slim folding keyboard seems essential, not only in terms of speed but also to reduce tendon problems associated with writing longhand.
In general a fine overview, with lots of nice particulars when it comes to connectors and such. Good work. How does he run those 3" CD's though? 
__________________
Gerard Ivan Samija
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07-28-2005, 11:33 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bitequator
I've been looking to get a new laptop bag, and was wondering how good RoadWired's MegaMedia bag is. I need a light bag for my ThinkPad X-series or T-series, but which has enough room and compartments to also carry some documents and all my gadgets/cables.
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I have a MegaMedia bag, and it's really nice. Given that you have a smaller latpop though, it might be overkill - have you looked at the Skooba Satchel? I have one and it's quite nice, though obviously being smaller it has less pockets.
If you decide to order one from them directly, here's my affiliate link. ;-)
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07-28-2005, 11:39 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 181
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There is something that seems to be lacking in that little article. Common sense!
So much for travelling light. All that equipment seems to defeat the whole idea implied in the title, instead including every possible item that someone could want for a device, most of which will never be used.
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07-29-2005, 02:40 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 376
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Based to WM 2003 SE its still hard to travel with just PPC ... i still find it hard to relay just on my Imate Jam, so i take my Toshiba Satellite in 2+ days trips.. May be the HTC Universal will change my way of travelling :wink:
Regards,
Sarwat
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07-29-2005, 03:15 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 11
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I still take a laptop, and wish I didn't have to, forever waiting for that pda which really can cover the bases in the real world of work - that is to say, a pda with full or at least fuller support for editing MS Office files, and for printing them. Email is also an issue for me. Maybe these demands are unreasonable, but in any case I doubt OEMs will ever go there.
My situtation is complicated by the fact that my corporate environment is Domino-centered. Our administator doesn't like the idea of opening up pop3 access to Notes and I don't have a VPN. So when I'm on the road I have, in addition to my iPAQ 2200 and my ThinkPad, a Blackberry 7250 also, which I really don't care for at all. That means I travel with a bag full of power adapters (packed in my luggage at least) - for 2 pdas, a laptop, and a mobile printer.
Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that pdas are probably never going to be tools for work, beyond email and phone calls. Like others, I've tried to leave the laptop at home, but it's a joke really. I like my iPAQ, but it's absurd how much stuff I have accrued in my ultimately failed quest for laptop-equivalence (TextMaker, PlanMaker, Pocket Slides, Stowaway Keyboards, Bachmann infrared printer adaptor, spare batteries, travel adaptors, card readers, battery extender, wireless lan card, 56k CF modem, etc etc). And here I am, still taking a laptop!
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07-29-2005, 05:18 PM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,389
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I've not used a laptop for years. I relpaced my laptop for day to day things when i got my first winCE 1.0 device. It was so much eaiser to carry to class.
Now days it is very easy for me to take long trips with only a ppc and a few parts. I spent a week in Boston last month with only my ppc. Everything worked great! Did run into an issue when the new version of spb diary came out. They didn't offer a cab download. hehe..
That's why my newish laptop is an alienware. It is not protable. LOL plays WoW nice though. And that's the only use it gets.
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07-29-2005, 10:34 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,466
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Road warrior definition
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Gerard
.... No problem, only it seemed slightly out of place in a 'road warrior' article. I am not a road warrior, whatever that is, so tell me - anyone - am I way off base with this comment?
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C'mon G,
You can't say you haven't been silently amusing yourself at Phil's, Ripper's and my expense.
Ripper invariably has his laptop in his bag. So does Phil...Personally I carry enough hardware to be voted most likely to be first online after an EMP blast. Batman could take pointers from my "utility belt".
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Linear Mode
