The Minimalist Road Warrior's Guide to "Traveling Light" using a Pocket PC

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://bevhoward.com/TravLite.htm' target='_blank'>http://bevhoward.com/TravLite.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"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."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/PDA2k3b.jpg" /><br /><br />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?

[ipaq_wannabe]

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!!!

[beq]

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 :)

[Gerard]

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? ;)

[Jason Dunn]

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.

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 (http://www.roadwired.com/store/Product.cfm?Productid=88)? 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 (http://www.roadwired.com/index.cfm?aid=7). ;-)

[Silver5]

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.

[saru83]

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

[wkspear]

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!

[Jason Lee]

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.

[Cybrid]

.... 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?
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".

[Gerard]

Seriously? You guys actually lug that stuff around all the time? I feel borderline-naked without a PPC and a couple of CF accessories - camera and Wi-Fi mostly, since I got a 1GB SD - and a keyboard for anything more than a few hours... but packing a notebook around, that's just a burden. I'm not laughing, I'm horrified.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

One thing which seemed startlingly lacking was an external folding keyboard.

It is there, about half way down the article.

[Gerard]

oh. Okay, time to seriously consider reading glassses. sorry. I read it quickly, and didn't see a keyboard...

[saru83]

oh. Okay, time to seriously consider reading glassses. sorry. I read it quickly, and didn't see a keyboard...

Something really off topic but where in Vancouver r u GERARD? coz i'm in Vancouver too :)

[Gerard]

I'm in the rather broadly defined area called 'Mount Pleasant' in the sub-province called 'Cedar Cottage.' 3 blocks East of the Fraser and Kingsway intersection. If you wander around with a Wi-Fi spotting software active you'll find an open AP called 'behave' - that's mine. There are about 6 open Wi-Fi points within a block or so of mine, and perhaps as many locked down, though a couple of the encrypted ones belong to the ICBC building.

We meet every month. Interested in geeking out over beers (not too many) and/or snacks? We seem to keep encountering noisy distractions, this past month an art opening with tunes at Libby's on Trout Lake, a few months ago a poetry slam at Our Town at Broadway and Kingsway... Basically we meet somewhere with an open AP and decent hospitality and catch up on whatever anyone's been testing, has just bought, whatever. Check out the site in my sig.

[ctmagnus]

oh. Okay, time to seriously consider reading glassses. sorry. I read it quickly, and didn't see a keyboard...

Something really off topic but where in Vancouver r u GERARD? coz i'm in Vancouver too :)

:crazyeyes: I thought you were in Ontario?!? Don't tell me we got another dang easterner out here now!

;)

[ctmagnus]

Oh, and I carry an iPaq 5550, an Audiovox SMT5600 and a small (~2" x 3" x 6") bag with an AC/auto adapter and a sync n' charge cable for each. In a very big stretch, I'll pack along a BT folding keyboard and a BT mouse as well.

[Gerard]

:crazyeyes: I thought you were in Ontario?!? Don't tell me we got another dang easterner out here now!
;)

You better think hard on them words friend. I was born in 1961 at Vancouver General Hospital, and remain a Vancouverite, a native British Columbian, and while normally I'm not prone to 'nationalism' and such nonsense you just managed to irk me, somewhat. Read my bio if you need some confirmation. It's linked from my front page at luthier.ca

Where the heck did the topic go?

[ctmagnus]

I was referring to Saru ;)

And, fwiw, I was born in 1976 at Golden General Hospital, and remain a Goldenite, a native British Columbian and I'm not normally prone to nationalism either. ;) ;)

And I think it's somewhere beyond left field by now. :twak: for both of us.

[Cybrid]

Where the heck did the topic go? I'm sure I packed it in the bag....With my luck it'll on the bottom of all my crap. :lol:
Like you I pack PPC and CF accessories and go from there as need or length of stay. many a time I would say I over pack.

[Steve Jordan]

:roll: Canadians, eh?... (Sorry, couldn't resist...)

When I travel, I bring my laptop, but it never leaves my room, and doesn't get unpacked along the way. I often bring this only because I cannot get online with my PPC, and if my room has an internet connection, my laptop will do that job. (The last week-long vacation I went on, the room had no internet connection. I never even unpacked the laptop.)

When I'm working offsite, I just bring the handheld, the portable keyboard, and a power plug. I take notes, edit word docs and tasks, make appts, etc, and I'm good. I'm too busy working to think about entertainment, aka, music or movies, so I don't need all the listening stuff.

I also carry a briefcase, but it's an Eagle Creek canvas bag, 10x12, which has plenty of room for my PPC stuff, plus a magazine or two and a few other office essentials (pen, business cards, portable flash memory, sandwich, fig newton snack packs). :wink: Add my phone, and maybe a digital camera, and I'm set for the road in a small, lightweight case.

[saru83]

We meet every month. Interested in geeking out

First SORRY guys for going off-topic :oops: buts couldnt resist to c a ppc pro in Vancouver :wink: .

Anyways, thx Gerard for the offer, i am really interested in doing that, so i will just send "Ameet Vyas" an email to send me more details about this.

Regards,
Sarwat

[beq]

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.

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 (http://www.roadwired.com/store/Product.cfm?Productid=88)? 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 (http://www.roadwired.com/index.cfm?aid=7). ;-)

Thanks Jason. When I order something I'll certainly use the link.

Just curious, do you have the nylon or leather MegaMedia Bag? I'm still trying to look over their other laptop bags too, including that Skooba Satchel, though the attaches also look nice.

I just want a case with a lot more pockets to store everything. With my current cases I have to put all my small gadgets/accessories/cables in plastic ziplock bags and dump them in one or two huge pockets. Then when I need something I have to hunt around in the huge pockets to get the right ziplock bag, then hunt around in that ziplock bag to get the right item.

Anyways, I prefer a bag with a laptop compartment that is just big enough for a small laptop with 12"-14" screen (ThinkPad X series and 14" T series), but not any bigger where the extra space is wasted. BUT, I still want a bag with enough pockets and space in addition to the laptop compartment, to store all my other gadgets.

Another strategy is to carry a small laptop bag along with something like The Pod for the other gadgets...

[Jason Dunn]

Just curious, do you have the nylon or leather MegaMedia Bag? I'm still trying to look over their other laptop bags too, including that Skooba Satchel, though the attaches also look nice.

I have the nylon bag. I like the look of the leather, but I'd be concerned about it being too heavy.

[MatthewNCB]

Was that PPCPE available in 2003?

[Jason Dunn]

Was that PPCPE available in 2003?

No. The first version of this article was written with a Jornada as the Pocket PC being used.