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notebook alternative? notebook alternative?
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Communications Connecting - internet cafes, laptops, smart phones - how to connect, use, which one, and intercom/radio systems.
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  #1  
Old 1 Jul 2010
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notebook alternative?
so i am going to have a long travel. but i am undecided about carrying a notebook. actually i dont want to carry one, i find it more of a burden. but there are always time that i need something, say apps, bookmarks, contacts data to do things, so i am wondering is there a way that i can carry all these and have accesss to them at anytime at anywhere while not having to carry a notebook?

how do you guys do that, any suggestion and ideas are appreciated.
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  #2  
Old 1 Jul 2010
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Well, I cannot see you using any applications without something, but you can take data and bookmarks on a USB stick. Plus you can take scanned copies of your docs, but you could also leave these in a secure online storage.

As I was using my laptop for entertainment and running a daily blog, I had no real choice, except not to do what I did.

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Old 1 Jul 2010
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By notebook i'm assuming you are talking about a small laptop.



Well, have you considered a REAL notebook ?? Bit of a crazy notion in these techno obsessed days.

I hear you can write down names, phone numbers etc... Some even allow you to write down websites in them.

Draw a picture, jot down the name of hotel someone recommends, have a local draw a map in it.. Then keep it for nostalgia when you get back !

A decent sizes hardbacked notebook and a ballpoint pen in your tankbag could be all you really need ! Ask youself !!

If you need the internet, go to an internet cafe ! Why mess about with carrying laptops, chargers, adapters, wifi dongles, cd's.. etc etc


If all that is too much for you, get a PDA or PDA mobile phone... My Nokia E63 does everything I really need a notebook to do; be it a little slower and clumsier.
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Old 1 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
have you considered a REAL notebook ?? Bit of a crazy notion in these techno obsessed days. .
This is a great tip.

I carry a small one, inside a waterproof ziplock-type pocket thingy. It's great looking back at stuff from past trips. Abit less 'sterile' that electronic stuff.

However, I usually carry (when I'm on the road for more than a few days, or out of the country) a small notebook (the A5 type, actually and EeeePC) with solid state hard drive. It's only realy any use for basic stuff (copy of the workshop manual, GPS software, web browsing etc). I do favour the old pen'n paper approach more and moe though.

Other options are the PDA approach, where you have you're phone, email and some basic editing (for blogs?), or go straight to the iPhone type device. All of these allow you to sync up with your PC at home so you can keep your contacts, emails etc.

I guess you need to decide on what you want to do;

* Do you need mobile comms, Internet etc?
* Do you need to update other electronic stuff on the road ?
* Do you just need a phone with some web ability and email ?
* Do you need to backup your Digital Camera ?

You can substitute 'need' for 'want' or 'desire' - what you take is your choice.

Once you decide what you need, then it's simply a case of finding the best fit option.
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Old 1 Jul 2010
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Easiest thing to do is set up a webmail address (Hotmail, Googlemail etc) and email yourself all the data you want kept. You can make a folder online so you don't need to keep trawling through new emails to find your information.

That way any internet connection in the world will give you access to all your data.

To be really safe, you could even set up several webmail accounts and email the data to all of them.
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Old 1 Jul 2010
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This is the right approach:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GasUp View Post

I guess you need to decide on what you want to do;

* Do you need mobile comms, Internet etc?
* Do you need to update other electronic stuff on the road ?
* Do you just need a phone with some web ability and email ?
* Do you need to backup your Digital Camera ?
If you need certain applications search the net for "portable apps". Mojopac puts Windows XP on a USB stick, but requires admin logon on the host PC.

You can put your documents on Google Docs, your contacts in your webmail account, etc. However, bear in mind that in some countries public net access is becoming restricted to wifi, i.e. you need a device to access it. My cousin has just reported that on the Italian island of Sardegna they didn't see one internet cafe.
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Old 2 Jul 2010
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You make a good point there Peter about actual availability of internet cafes.

Last year throughout the Americas internet cafes were few and far between in the whole of north America and Canada, it is all free WiFi, so you would need a device as you say.

Once you get south into Mexico, the local populations cannot afford all the gear and set up, so internet cafes are just about on every street corner and cheap as well.

I found the same situation all the way down through Central and South America, the poorer countries had more cafes, while you would have to search for the hotels and motels that offered WiFi

I hear Europe is the same, no cafes but lots of WiFi hotspots, so I guess it depends where you are going to start with and what you want to do.

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Last edited by TravellingStrom; 2 Jul 2010 at 00:14. Reason: spelling
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Old 2 Jul 2010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beddhist View Post
This is the right approach:
If you need certain applications search the net for "portable apps". Mojopac puts Windows XP on a USB stick, but requires admin logon on the host PC.

You can put your documents on Google Docs, your contacts in your webmail account, etc. However, bear in mind that in some countries public net access is becoming restricted to wifi, i.e. you need a device to access it. My cousin has just reported that on the Italian island of Sardegna they didn't see one internet cafe.
Thanks for all your discussion. especially peter.
i found one that is similar to Mojopac called Prayaya V3. it seems that it enables you to move all your apps, data to a USB and when you have a Windows PC avaiable, you just plugin USB to run apps and your files. it says it is secure and privacy-protected. btw no admin rights needed.

anyway, this works only when you have a Windows PC available. and it only makes your familiar apps and data at hand.

but we are going for a travel, i will write something here after i try it.
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  #9  
Old 2 Jul 2010
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last year when i was in america i just went into any library and they let you use there PC for free. no laptop or notebook .just a pen and a white fuel tank got me RTW ok .
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  #10  
Old 2 Jul 2010
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Now that I have a modern smart phone (HTC Desire with 800 x 400 resolution 3.7-in screen) I can do all the Internet/email/blog stuff I want from a WiFi connection. Typing isn't so fast but it's OK for small amounts.

I guess I could even dump my compact travel camera, my iPod and my voice recorder in favour of the built-in camera/video/music/voice-to-text apps.

The only reason I now need to carry a Windows-based notebook PC is to run Mapsource to download tracks and plan routes.

Tim
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