Netbook, laptop, tablet or smart phone ??
 

I've always liked to travel with a netbook. But there is no denying the weight and space in your luggage is SIGNIFICANT..

I'm determined to do my next trip SUPER LIGHT but I really want something that I can use wirelessly in a hostel, cafe etc. For checking mail, writing blogs and booking flights, transport etc.

I'm swaying towards another small netbook......

However, tablets are really powerful these days. Lack of proper qwerty puts me off though..


Any suggestions or ideas ??

Cheers, Ted

I've just bought the Macbook Air 11-inch - thin and lightweight but still has the features of a laptop.

I used an iPad on my last trip but I found it lacking for any lengthy typing and also it had some other limitations.

I always have my Smartphone with me. It is multi useable as a phone, navigation system, wireless computer.....
Skype, Internet, Mail, data backup, reader....
The only disadvantage is that I do not have the possibility to install any Windows program on it.
Stefan

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9300 mit Tapatalk

I have Macbook Pro 13".
I chose this computer mainly because of aluminium covers = robust.
Changed normal HDD to SSD.
13" because I want to see my photos from a big display (well, I would prefer 15", but that starts to be too big).
This computer is not light, but it has served me well in the past 17 months. For shorter trip, I would select something smaller and lighter like Macbook Air 11").

I'll be watching this thread to get ideas/feedback on this. I'm leaning more towards the iPad Air. Used an iPad 2 for a short trip and found with the little stand, it was OK typing once you got used to it. Takes a few days. Does most all what a computer can do, AFAIK.

More and more capability on the latest version iPad, now with Cellular and better WiFi ... so connectivity should be pretty good ... can be used as a phone with an App. Seems well set up for travel.

I've traveled with lap tops. They are good but just a bit large/ heavy and some can succumb to vibration. Also, target for theft ... but I guess they ALL are.

I'm amazed how tough the iPad is. It can take a drop or five and keep going, can be hidden in back pad pouch of riding jacket. My friend's kids (11 and 13) have had a iPad for over a year and can't break it. To me .. says a lot. bier

I thought about exactly this subject and wasted a long time looking at various options. Finally I spent a week noting down what thought I might need "techwise" while on the road (I spent a week as you always think of something later) Having decided what I needed to do, I looked at what was the smallest package to do it all. In the end I settled on my current android smart phone which had cost me £90 with appropriate "apps" ( most free ). It amazed me what apps you could find to do the most unexpected things.

It charges easily from the bike, even while stopped with no problems of flat battery. App for sky scanner for flights is good. Booking.com app or similar for hotels. Wifi no probs. (There may be a blog app) Stick in a plastic zip bag to keep dry. Wrap it in you pants to keep it safe from knocks if you have too. Most take mem cards so you can transfer photos from cameras for blogs, if the built in camera is not good enough. Some cameras have wifi connectivity so link up easily ( prob an app for that too? )
And of course you can make a phone call, store music or "local" language lessons as I do ! ( there is an app for that)

Security wise it is one less thing to worry about, just stuff it in your pocket.
Back up sat nav if required. ( there is an app for that )

One of our trips we took an ipad mini. It was ok but every time we left the bike somewhere we had to carry the thing about with us and constantly think......oh where's the ipad. The little phone did all the ipad could anyway, so we leave it at home now.

We don't blog or facebook or any other "keep home informed of what I'm doing" type thing, other than email which all works fine for us with what we now carry. People do blog using phones so it can be done ok, but its what you find you can get on with.

Yes the keyboard may be an issue for some as it's "virtual" but I did get used to it quite quickly. I have seen flexible roll up/ fold up keyboards which may be an option? All this tech stuff moves so fast these days, so much so, you don't actually need a keyboard any more. Voice recognition is now quite standard on smart phones so you may well find just speaking you blog is an option. There's prob an app for that............

I did post this using a PC and key board, but I do have an app for this :innocent:

180 Grms of smartphone + Monterra. Job's a gud'un:thumbup1:
Throw in a few lightweight tools, Ti cookware.... Not quite the bare minimum... but now down to luggage AUW of 22Kgs from an over indulgent 51Kgs!:blushing:

I sway the same way you do. For detailed blogging on the move and cataloging and storing pics its hard to cut to anything less. When you are storing video too, and needing to pass video files from go pros and other video cameras into external hard drives its essential.

I've used a couple of netbooks for travelling; a Compaq (taken over by HP) and lately a Gateway (part of the Acer empire). These things always sounded better in theory than they functioned in practice and I would not recommend them as lightweight travelling devices.

The price range and size may be attractive but this is one of those cases in which you do get what you pay for. They are not that light, have puny processors and in both of mine I found the keyboards awkward and irritatingly glitchy.

The oft suggested alternatives, the Mac Air and the Microsoft Surface Pro, can cost nearly four times the price of a netbook but I do keep noticing lower end quasi ultrabooks from name manufacturers which are reasonably priced.

I've just moved from a 13" MacBook Pro to an 11" MacBook Air.
Saved over a kilo and the more I use it the more I love it. Travelling with it in bubble wrap and a double large ziplock bag makes for light waterproof protection.

PN

I've got an android smart phone and yes, you can do most things..

But they're crap for web browsing... And yes I've tried.

Trying to book a flight on a smart phone on dodgy wifi will have you ripping your hair out..

Not a problem when the screen is 14cm diag:thumbup1:

"could it be all about the right tool for the right job?" as my old mentor used to ask:smiliex:

You got a 'Phablet' ??? :smartass:


I was looking at a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with it's huge screen but still no good for typing I guess...

I recently tried a windows tables and to me it's the holy grail. I'm no windows fan, but it's compatible with everything else, small, no hdd, expandable memory, plug and play, hdmi and usb ports often, works perfectly with android. With map source, base camp, oziexplorer, etc you could even full an entire TB external hdd with vector maps and sat imagery to plan or adjust your route each evening for the next day.

Just make sure you can charge it with a 12v adapter. My acer can't (no connector adapter) but my Mrs' samsung can. I think an 8" is coming out soon.

I recommend taking a true bluetooth mouse or stylus with it. The desktop bit of a tablet isn't designed for fingers.

I've been using an 11" Air for a couple of years, and nothing beats it ... actually there are a few things which does; Samsung and Asus have similar computers (13" though), more options and more ports....

Just a small hint for protecting an 11", get a book book cover, and an 8L Sea to Summit bag - it fits like a glove.

Casper

£800 !! :helpsmilie:

I can't pay that for something I'll probably sit on and break :innocent:

Ted,

I'd probably stick to a little netbook. My Wife's got a little Samsung, it cost almost bugger-all and is surprisingly fast and the battery lasts for ages.

If I was feeling flush, I'd consider a tablet with a plug in keyboard.

Ted, if it helps, here's what I recommend.

I had a couple of 10 inch netbooks before and they suffered from smaller screen resolution and no onboard video card (made it very hard playing movies or editing pictures)

I switched a couple of yrs ago to a 12.1 inch 1366x768 netbook with a dedicated onboard video chipset. It cost about 350 quid and edits full res pics in photoshop, does HD video editing (slowly - but it does it) and has a bigger full size keyboard (the 10 inch netbooks had a squeezed slightly smaller keyboard)

Netbooks arent really made any more but you might be able to find some old stock or find one on eBay. I can do 10 times as much on my more powerful 12 inch netbook than I could on my 10 inch netbook.

Asus eee 1215 is what I am taking on the road with me. Check it out mate.

Checking it now..... Netbooks are a dying breed. Shame really.

Acer are still making them though....

Acer Travelmate 11.6. About £420 with high spec and still on Windows 7 (I HATE WIN8)

ASUS Transformer
 

Hey Ted,

Doing a quick browse it seems nobody mentioned the Transformer. Have a look at the new 10,5" (or so) ASUS Transformer, laptop and tablet in one with Quad Core and Windows Pro so you can install programs like Mapsource! Price on the mainland Euro 350,- It is that I have a ASUS Eee netbook which works fine for me but if I were looking for one, this would be it! (HD) Video editing may be a challenge but you did not mention that as requirement. The Transformer is considerably slimmer and lighter than my Eee netbook and I think Windows 8 is very nice :)

Cheers,
Noel

Playbook
 

Blackberry Playbook and Z10 both in Otter case. Price is right for Playbook, no moving parts and mine has 80,000k through deserts and mountains rattling around in my topcase. Poynt, GasBuddy, map apps plus browser and e-mail is all I need. I'm travelling, I don't need the bells and whistles or problems of a laptop which I have experienced in the past. Travelling terrain and vibrations can be deadly for disk drives and keyboards. This works for me and my needs, others may require more sophistication.

I bought a "touchlet sx7" no I'd never heard of them either. Runs with android has a 7 inch screen , can be used with a Bluetooth keyboard. What swayed it for me was the dual sim card slots. Buy a cheap sim card on country entry and still be available on your normal number. It cost 170€ ....yes it has its limits but I've been using mine over 8 months and have left the netbook in its bag.
Its big enough to use as an e-book reader, video screen is big enough, I do Skype and telephone with it via a BT headset as it looks daft holding such a TV to your ear.....and it has a USB port for an external drive. They do a 10 inch one too but that ain't going in your pocket :-) :-)

sent from my thingy, using whatchamacallit

That's what I like about the Windows tabs as well. Light and compatible standard hard and software like Garmin software.
The eee that I had crapped out all the time. Hard drive fragmentation, according to our it, is often to blame for reducing performance. But sold state memory will prevent that.
I tend to leave the editing of pics and video for when I'm done and back working.

I'd been struggling with the same question as Ted for awhile before starting my current trip. The last one I did was with a $150 ten inch netbook and for me that was fine. I'd have taken it again on this trip but some b**** stole it a couple of months back.

The new solution is 7 inch tablet and so far I'm pleased with it. The pro is the very light weight and the ease with which I can carry it in the back pocket of my bike jacket waterproofed in a zip lock bag. No more worrying about is my laptop secure, or the pain of having to get it out of my luggage. Also battery life is much longer and recharging much easier. The con is that it is harder to type from. Originally that was a killer for me, but then I discovered Google's swipe keyboard (free app) which makes a significant difference for me and make composing posts like this with the onscreen keyboard an acceptably quick if not a painless activity.

Every thing is a compromise but for me, who has much lower IT needs than Walter, at the moment this solution seems an acceptable one.

Tablet or small, rugged laptop? Android, Mac, or windows?
 

We are in the same dilemma, though we even want to be able to edit the movie clips we shot with the GoPro right away :-) As we don't want to face the horror of editing all this stuff after coming back from a 4-5 months trip... rather start it on the road. :mchappy:

We also initially thought about just taking a tablet (further tech family would include an iPhone 3, samsung S2 plus smartphone, garmin and the GoPro - and possibly the BRCK modem, if we can get it :cool4:). But now I think a tablet won't be enough... there are apps for this, but I know video editing is a fidgety work as it is on the laptop, I can't imagine doing that on the tablet... anyone any experience with video / sound editing on a tablet?

Also, we have a Garmin and wanted to connect it to the tablet to do the route planning there (and then load it on the Garmin). Seems that there are no apps for Garmin! (or at least no apps for android or mac-tablets, and I don't know if I want to go windows for a tablet...).

And lastly, a friend here in SA told us he wrecked two harddrives in his laptop while just commuting with the motorcycle to work (commuting on dirt roads, though :scooter:). The vibrations just wrecked it.
So he strongly recommend to get a device with a solid state drive. Which is quite costly. Anyone had similar experiences?

I've done a lot of rough miles with all sorts of laptops over the years. I even had a massive crash with a 17" Dell which got thrown down the road and it still worked perfectly... The trick is to NEVER have the HDD active whilst moving. Some make the mistake to have the laptop in sleep or hibernation mode which still has the HDD ticking over. With vibrations, it will kill it....

However,

Solid state Hard drives have really come down in price and they are far more reliable and faster to access. The only downside is that their capacity is a lot smaller for the same price.

But that's what USB flash drives are for.. Once or two of those and you should be okay. You can get a whopping 128GB flash drive for about £50 quid now and MASSIVE 256GB one for about £120.

USB flash drives are GREAT for travelling.


I think I've made my mind up..... I'm getting a 10" netbook with Win 7 and a sold state drive and a couple of 128 GB flash drives.

Me too, keeps you in the travelling state of mind for another couple of months as well! :D

PS; My Eee hasn't crapped out on me yet, just recently found out that the Super Hybrid Engine can be manually adjusted between 5% till 30% overclocking speed. Mine was set at 5% and I now set it at 30% (in the Bios) and its a lot better now, not so shocky anymore, reduces battery life though.
Cheers,
Noel

WHICHEVER SYSTEM YOU GET PROTECT THE SCREEN: The constant jostling in your luggage will imprint the pattern of the keys onto the screen, so always stick a bit of cloth (clean hanky will do) between the screen and the keyboard.

Haven't heard of netbooks in a few years. I travel with a 13-in Macbook Air but concur the 11-in would be great if space/weight was that essential (it's not for me). Solid-state storage, so no hard drives to crash. Battery run-time of about 12 hours and I have Windows XP (I have Win 7) running under Parallels Desktop so I can use Mapsource and some astronomy software that's Windows-only.

Yes they are expensive, but the environment with iPhone integration is brilliant and it will last for three as many years as an already-obsolete netbook.

hmmm. I didn't know you could put Win 7 on a Mac Air.. I thought there was a problem with it not having USB 3.0 drivers and the Mac only having US 3 ports. :confused1:

I travel with a little net book. Had the book for a good three four year's. The only down side is the memory. Not big enough. So get a couple of one ter bite drive's that you plug in. Just down load to the spare hard drive at night. You will need a main supplies to drive the book as it take's it time.

It's worked well for me in all these year's. So I see no reason to change what I have. The other up side to me is. If I lose or get stolen the book, I still have all the picture's and video. And to me that's the main thing. A new net book will be less than a £100 to replace.
John933

I'd be tempted by one of these

Buy MICROSOFT Surface RT 10.6" Convertible Tablet - 32 GB with Touch Cover Tablet Keyboard | Free Delivery | Currys

Nook or Kindle Fire?
 

The Nook and Kindle are ebook readers that also cover web browsing, email, WiFi and have lots of Apps and some other Android features.

Probably not as much of a "real" computer" as others but for travel (for me) it may suit?

The $174 Nook, is not too expensive, IMO ... and it's $300 less than the new Apple ipad air. It does NOT have a camera (I don't need one as I have a "real" camera that takes pics and pretty good movies)

Seems OK for storing pics, posting to forums and sending emails on the road.
It even has some GPS ability (no idea how it works). I'm an IT moron ... so ... what am i missing here? Does someone with very little IT ability really need more?

Things I don't need in a travel computer:
camera
massive storage
storing or editing movies
Games
Use only very few Apps

Things I DO need:
Decent web browsing
Good WIFI functionality
Email
storing pics
A few books and some music (not a lot)

?c?

Yeah.... Me too...

Looks kinda flimsy though don't you think.

Yeah the connecting parts look like they could be a tad flimsy. That said its designed to be used as both so I'd like to think that its a bit tougher than it looks..... or i might just be being optimistic...:innocent:

The bit where I wrote "I have Win 7" should have read, "I hate Win 7" :innocent:

Nevertheless I have two versions on Windows on my MBA. I have Win XP running as a virtual machine under Parallels Desktop which means I can run Mapsource et al as windows within Mac OS. I also have a separate 25GB boot partition with Win 7 on it, though I have to say it's been six months or more since I used that—many of my older apps are flaky with Win 7 which was the reason I decided to move away from Microsoft's OS.

No problems with USB. If Parallels Desktop is running and you plug something into a USB port it asks whether you want this to be connected to Mac OS or Windows.

Why is this so difficult... Too much choice these days isn't there.

Now I'm looking at a Google Nexus 10... haha

I can't buy into Apple. They are pure evil. And they drink the blood of babies...

Last May I did a road trip from Vancouver Island to South Dakota and back over about two weeks. I took an Acer Android 7" inch tablet that cost about $200. It did a great job. Almost every place I stayed, including campgrounds, had wi-fi. I found it very useful for looking at maps, researching destinations, making campground reservations, email, ebooks, etc. It also had a decent camera, but I tend to use my smartphone for photos or video as it is smaller and more convenient.

I kept it in a heavy leather case that gave it very good protection, so I had no issues with scratching or sturdiness.

The only caveat is that a touchscreen is not that good for typing more than a few sentences at a time. If you expect to do a lot of typing, you might want to get some kind of a Bluetooth wireless keyboard.

I wouldn't hesitate to take a tablet of some description on my next road trip.

bluetooth wireless keyboard you say..... Now why didn't I think of that.

:thumbup1:



They even have their own fan page.. . Nexus 10 Keyboards ← Keyboards for the Nexus 10 Tablet

The Microsoft Wedge keyboard is getting a lot of internet love..

Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard | Microsoft Hardware


Soooo. I think the 'new' Nexus 10 is on my list when it finally comes out along with a bluetooth keyboard..

Rugged net books are harder and harder to come by, so no I am running on an iPad 2 in a otter box shell, together with a Bluetooth keyboard, which you can find at any dealer that sells tablets, it works like a sharm, no problem with lengthy writing.
Downside is that i can not transfer any pictures from my slr to the tablet, so that have to wait until I get to a proper computer. Instead, I have portable hardrive I can use when I find a Internet cafe. On that hard drive is all the tools i need to take care of the pictures from the slr, mostly by using portable apps.

Why can't you transfer photos from your SLR? I have no problems transferring photos from my Canon DSLR onto my iPad 2. You just need the adaptor that allows a USB connection and then the photos can be transferred to iPhoto easily.

Having said that, I'll be taking my Macbook Air 11-inch on my next trip, along with a My Passport For Mac external drive, and the iPad 2.

That's what people have been telling me, and I will check it up. I guess that I have been to lazy about it :0. I'm more of a Linux guy, and actually this iPad is my first Apple product, and I am surprisingly very happy with it, even though I am not ready to convert ..... Yet

I've got myself a Panasonic Toughbook. Pretty rugged, reasonably waterproof and able to cope with knocks and vibration. On the downside a bit heavy

I bought one of the original Eee 701s for about £120 when they were going out of production, and dragged it all over the UK and Europe for a few years. SSD, card slot, virtually indestructable, cheap enough it wouldn't matter if you did. Perfect travel machine...


...until you get a video camera. While it will deal with backing up files and reviewing stills, it won't even play 720p video, let alone do anything resembling editing - didn't want to do anything fancy, just cut a couple of minutes out of longer videos to post snippets online while on the road. Proper editing can be done at home.

So then I bought a 10" Archos tablet - again for about £120 in a sale. As long as you keep the screen protected with a case, the same applies as for the Eee - cheap, solid state, proper full-size USB host port to take a card reader. Plus it can deal with video (although I've still not found a decent Android video editor).

Took that to the US with me last year, and it worked pretty well. Given I tended to write a lot more than I did stuff with video, I did miss having a real keyboard. I'm currently trying to turn my notes from the trip into a proper writeup - I'm pretty sure there would be less work to do now if I'd had the Eee with me to type on as I went along.

At home I'll always use my 15" laptop for anything other than idle web browsing, again because of the keyboard. But I would be a bit edgy carrying my (relatively cheap) £500 laptop on a bike trip. If I took leave of my senses enough to pay whatever a Macbook Air costs, I'd be too scared to take it out of the house :eek3:

You just need this Apple connection kit. The connector on the left is the USB connector that will allow the SLR (or other cameras) to be connected. LINK

netbook --> Macbook Air ---> Ipad &iUSBport
 

I started out taking a netbook. Move to a macbook air. Last trip I took an iPad and iUSBport with an external drive so I could transfer video to the hard drive.

I was amazed the iPad did everything I needed, the only thing that defeated it was the spreadsheet used by my accountant for my business accounts.

Macbook air is great but I ruined a Nikon camera on gravel roads so decided the ipad might be a bit more forgiving on rough roads.

Lilian

Lillian,
You're one of the few who have mentioned using an iPad on the road.
I'm thinking about one too. I'm not a computer guy ... at all ... and that's why I like Apple products.

I thought the iPad did not have a USB port? So are you saying you use an external HD for storage that somehow adapts to the iPad?
How does it plug into the iPad?

Thanks for any insight.

I don't do spread sheets and would never need "Word" or any other Microsoft product.

I'd only be sending email, web browsing, storing photos and music and doing the occasional video.(not editing) For that usage, would the iPad be OK?

I like the idea of storing video on an external device since it requires a lot of
MB.

Cheers! bier

I would also suggests an iPad for Navigation, writing a diary, sorting pictures from your camera, Apps like:

Currency converter, Dictionary, Audio Books, vpn, skype, MP3s and Movies & Games (if you want).

Streaming audio with Bluethooth...

The Ipad has no USB Connection. It has an Connection-Kit for SD Cards, where you can load pictures from your camera: Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit - Apple Store (Schweiz) There are good apps to work on your pictures too.

The screen is big enough to decide what pictures you can delete. With Photoshop Express and Apps like Retouch you can do much - without much effort.

But thats a one-way communication. To load the pictures or other Data from the iPad, you have to use Wifi/Internet - or an Computer - to bring the Data away from the ipad (or jailbreaking the device).

For Navigation it is great:

4x4tripping: Offroad Navigation mit MotionX HD (iPad)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JnieSEFCmR...inzufuegen.jpg


Road Navigation

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nAIx-tZH7a...00/Navigon.jpg

4x4tripping: Strassen-Navigation mit dem Tablet / Smartphone


For shure not the cheapest device. But it is leightweight, small, powerful - like no other device. The iPad Air is very lightweight, run a long time without external power and small.

And you can go smaller with the iPad mini. You can upgrade them with small bluethooth keyboards - and use them like a notebook.

http://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.c...=1384622765305

There are cases around, for protect them if necessary.

Therefore you cant upgrade them, you should buy them with enough memory.

For shure are there ways to use external storage:
On the road with a camera, an iPad, and a Hyperdrive | Macworld

4 Best iPad Air and iPad Mini External Hard Drive Storage Options

Not easy for windows or android based devices, to to compete against it. These iPads are well made and can withstand vibrations.

If one of these Bluetooth Walkie-Talkie Apps could be handy for bikers - i dont have tested them...

Surfy

If you take photos with a DSLR and/or shoot video you need a latptop. Some for of ultrabook since Netbooks just don't cut it these days. The 11" Macbook Air is a great little device, if expensive. Windows works with it via bootcamp, though I have Windows 8 on an external drive that will boot on anything. Garmin has native software for OSX and of course there is Lightroom and Photoshop.

The new 12" Macbook has a great screen but it's super expensive and no faster than the old 2011 MBA.

Probably the ultimate device at the moment is Microsoft Surface Pro. Light and powerful, but again very expensive.

smart phone and Kindle

Smart phone replaces computer, camera, GPS, kindle replaces IPad and books.

Multi use is good


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Keep it simple
 

I agree with the previous poster - keep it simple and use devices that can multi-task. Currently my solution is:

• Andriod phone with reasonable camera and GPS
• Android tablet
• Google email account to tie it all together.

Unless you are serious about your photography a phone seems to me to take more than adequate shots. If you use Googles Photo App they also then magically send themselves up to free unlimited cloud storage via wi-fi and then become viewable on your tablet etc. The app also has some useful features where it also automatically selects your best photos and makes up little storybooks with them.

I am sure there are some quality compromises in all of this and i know some people don't like committing all their life to a software company, however for me this is as close to perfect as I can currently imagine - no more pulling SD cards out of cameras, connecting to computers, backing up to USB sticks or external drives, nor time spent fiddling with photo software I only vaguely understood - time I much prefer to spend wandering around and drinking a local beer.

The multi-task kit idea works with simple items like a spork, or tyre levers with a spanner end. It's not as good with phone, music, gps, web device, camera.

But as with everything it depends what you are doing and what you want to get out of it.

I doubt very much anyone would want to write a 6 month ride report on their phone, complete with resizing images, and uploading to them to a suitable webspace.

Actually music and phones do tend to work well.

I wish I could carry less devices. Well I could, but that would ruin a lot of the enjoyment for me. Making little video clips, photographing things, maintaining a strong web presences, keeping in touch with communities like this etc..

Each unto their own.

I can agree with you on the phone been adequate for taking photos, I used an apple 4S for all my photos when I was on my Laos and Thailand trip and it took some great shots

Wayne

Same. I used to have a dedicated digital camera with a whopping 2mp! A mini disk player with as many disks as I could carry, map books galore and hours in sweaty internet cafes (which was always a waste of time in the grand scheme of things and much better spent sucking up the vibe. Met travellers that borrowed other people's stories to fill their blogs because they were blogging). Thank F those days are gone. Gave up the logs long ago. Social media filled that gap nicely.

I have a decent Android phone with 2 extra batteries. Bought fake in Asia for total of 8 dollars. Works fine!

A separate gps Garmon gpsmap 62s which I love. Use for navigation, marking my route and alarm clock.

I ditched my heavy dslr for a small Canon Ixus 130 camera. Better weight, better battery and the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a factory issue with focusing, so 'useless' as a camera.

While travelling I bought a E-reader, and love it! I carried books around, but weight wise this is so much better.

In the last 9 months have not touched a laptop or anything and love it. A phone works fine for everything!

Alex

Still waiting for the day that "Equipment, Communications" becomes amalgamated with "Equipment, Photography", or some other combination as the technology all converges.

Meanwhile, I continue to use all of the above (except Apple stuff), mainly depending on how I am travelling.

A phone should be good at being a phone, it may be acceptable at being a point and shoot camera too .. but a true camera should all ways be better than a phone trying to be a camera. Especially in difficult situations. Just depends on how important a photo will be to you. Looking back I'd like to have taken more good photos, that means stopping more often and using a good camera.

So I don't see them amalgamating ... if you are truly after a camera or a phone.

Me? The 'smart phone' is;
a phone
the point and shoot camera (and back up camera)
alarm
calendar
calculator
note taker (either text or voice)
MP3 player (music and podcasts)
a back up GPS/maper
a backup for the paper maps
backup torch
.. and a few other things .. not travel connected.

The wifi .. I'm concerned with the security of that so I'd don't use it unless I know the network.

Weird. No problems with my S4

It's a trade-off between convenience and features, isn't it? My last few road trips, I've taken an iPhone 4 and a cheap Samsung 11" Chromebook. The phone works great for phone (obviously), for street maps when walking, for quick emails, and as a decent-enough snapshot camera for a mediocre photographer such as myself. The screen is too small for anything more serious, so I have the Chromebook laptop for typing, watching videos, mapping out the next day's route, etc.

+1 on the phone/ tablet combo. I do carry at least one camera but that's a hobby *

Biggest PITA is buying the things. My tablet is on its last legs. Battery lasts about 2 hours and you need to run the cleaner thing every hour. I can't face having to go through the specs and reviews or worst still having to talk to some Saturday morning sprog in some techno boutique.

* I explained my 60 year old film camera to two kids on the sea front at Scarborough. When I got to the bit about posting the film off and waiting a week they basically called me a liar :rofl:

Andy

Yeah, some models do, some don't. Apparently you have to change the entire module. Could be done under warranty, but that is over. Anyway, be happy yours is fine!! It annoys me like crazy, every time you take a picture it focuses. . It is tacks sharp and bam, it flicks and a blur! :mad:

Alex

Still confussed
 

Hi all
So this thread has been most informative but I am still unsure what I should be looking for, so here is my shortlist of things I need and I am wondering what you can recommend for me.

I need a laptop, notebook, tablet, which must be chargeable from the bike using a USB cable. I want to blog and as such will need a keyboard, be it attached or wireless. I want to download GoPro footage on a daily basis and upload all things to the blog. I will be travelling light and camping so it could be days between internet cafe's etc.

Do I need an external hard drive to store all the GoPro stuff?

I look forward to hearing from you.........Oh yes it needs to be cheap as well lol.

I am now thinking Samsung or Ipad but do they have suitable plug in bits for camera and GoPro.

Thanks. Ben

You can charge any laptop from a bike, why must it be a USB cable?

I hate to say it, but you need to be looking at something underpowered and overpriced like the 12" Macbook and it's windows equivalents. USC-C charging, decent keyboard, and plenty enough power for blogging, and enough for short bursts of video editing (not 4k).

Anything else is going to be much more of a compromise.

Ben,

to help you decide what you need:

- Go record 1 min of video with your go pro at the video quality you like
- estimate how much minutes per day of video recording you estimate you'll be doing
-find the total memory space you estimate you need for your trip:
Total memory size = (memory space for 1min video) x (Nb. of minutes recording video per day) x (nb. of days travelling)

- if total memory size is small maybe you can just dump the video directly from the go pro to usb memory and use a tablet for your trip

if the total memory size is too big, then you'll need to do some video editing to cut the un-needed video footage. This means you need a laptop with a reasonable cpu.

hope this help,
Patrick

Netbook, laptop, tablet or smart phone ??
 

Havibg travelling with an ipad previously i found it too limiting (i had a card adapter to load photos from the SD card but it was a PITA to get them on flickr and i missed a keyboard).

For my forthcoming trip i bought this and have been experimenting for the last 4 months with it for browsing/email, on my blog, for photos and sorting video (tom tom bandit). http://www.trustedreviews.com/asus-t...ok-t100-review

I have found it does all i want - good cheap solution. I have loaded windows movie maker on it which is easy to use and fine for my needs. It is working ok with the asus so far - i wil be editing hours of footage over easter on it so will get to test it further.

I bought this to read cards http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00L..._1458370210105 (works well).

I will take an external hard drive to store video footage - still determining the right size.

Hope this is of some help - its a minefield!

Cheers
Andy

And to think I backpacked around Greece & Oz & NZ in 94-95 without even a phone... :rolleyes:

Interesting to see the content of this thread over the 2.5 years since OP - tech may have changed (improved?) and more options/solutions may have come to market and prices may have dropped, but lads still have different needs from their devices. So it's unlikely a question like "which xxxx should I buy" will ever yield an ideal answer unless the asker's requirements are clearly defined.

Reading through the thread, it's clear that some guys are happy with a phone or tablet-type solution, and some need more powerful processing offered by a laptop/Macbook-type solution.

I'm an awful obsessive git when it comes to pretty much everything that takes my interest, and I'm now certain that everything is always a compromise - there's never a single optimal solution. The compromise(s) will usually be functionality vs price, or price vs functionality. All obvious stuff.

My own sentiments are that if I'm undertaking a unique and exciting trip, I'll want to document it - I've been a photography enthusiast for 25+ years, and photography has been an aspect of work I've done over the last 4 years. So coming home with great photos is important to me. I'm also excited by video documentation of a trip - We took quite a few good videos of the last few holidays I've taken with my kids were, and those living memories are wonderful to look back over.

So my own circumstances and requirements are that I want the capability for:

• Taking quality photos
• Recording quality video footage
• Storage options for photos and video content
• Some basic on-the-road editing functionality for photo & video
• Full editing functionality back at home
• Keeping in touch with home - both in urban & remote areas - whether simply social media/skype and/or a blog
• On-bike charging/powering options for extended periods away from domestic power
• Reliability and road-proofness of equipment

As it happens, I'm currently on borrowed time with a loaner laptop (run-of-the-mill 2009 Dell 17") while my own (run-of-the-mill 2012 Dell Studio 15") has gone down. Even if that's repairable, I'm not inclined to take it on a bike trip - past reliability issues and HDD make it less than ideal for motorbike travel IMO. So a replacement laptop is on the cards for me in the next year or so. I'm a fan of versatility, so my replacement for my home laptop will also be my bike road-trip laptop.

In photography terms, while I'd love to take my DSLR rig with me, there's just too much involved, even with a "basic" 2-lens set-up, so I'd be looking to a good well-specced P&S, rechargable from the bike via USB cable. My current phone has a decent camera and is IP68 waterproof, so is ideal as a back-up camera.

My video aspirations would be probably very OTT compared to most folk's - multiple on-board cameras aimed to different angles, all powerable/chargable (while in operation) from the bike via USB cables.

So I'd want plenty of storage to dump daily photo & video content.

My current choice of device to cater for all this is an ultra-book. I think that's the correct term? Not an Apple guy, but nor am I a big fan of the latest iterations of Windows. My brother in law is an IT guy and reckons a Linux OS is the way to go for issue-free functionality/operation.

So with all that considered, my research list is topped by stuff like this:

Asus ZenBook (running Linux, not Windows) - https://www.asus.com/ie/Notebooks/ASUS-ZenBook-UX303UA/
Hard waterproof case (as this will be my one-laptop-for-all-applications) - https://www.waterproof-cases.co.uk/p...se-with-liner/
Power supply (rechargable from the bike via USB) - EC Technology Portable 2nd Gen Deluxe 22400mAh 3 USB Power Bank - Black&Red
SSD storage - Sandisk SSD Plus Solid State Drive - 240GB £59.99 - Free Delivery
USB storage - SanDisk 128GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive 80MB/s £24.99 - Free Delivery

I'd probably invest in multiple smaller storage devices, rather than one large one, and I might also look at back-up options for during the trip.

As already mentioned in the thread - each to their own. My preferences may be OTT to some folk, but they're my preferences and my circumstances.

There may be something in there that's of use to other readers, and any comments or suggestions are welcome. :thumbup1:

I've been using a Chromebook as my home computing device for most of three years and it works great for me. Then again, 99% of what I do at home can be done in a web browser. YMMV.

technical stuff
 

After riding motorbikes for too many years, and losing stuff, I try to keep it simple
a cheap Nokia phone for phone calls and texts ( whose going to steal that !!)
a small cheapo camera in my pocket
and a decent camera in my tank bag for when I have time
an A5 writing pad hardback and a few Pencils and a pen
I keep this together with some typed out sheets of trip data,locations, and contact details in my tank bag
I find its much easier when sitting in cafes to write notes than to be immersed in a tablet and not make eye contact with other people
I keep small old samsung notepad thingy for booking hotels
spare SD cards for the cameras
and maps
I dont do blogs, if I am travelling its personal and for me, I like to keep notes and then write it up afterwards
I have travelled with a young relative who has all of this technology, but I found him a little distant at times and missing out on his surroundings,I like to integrate and blend in
plus I have the habit of breaking technology maybe due to age ?

I have traveled with so much electronic stuff there was no room in one pannier for anything else. I carried a macbook - 15", ipad2, and an iphone. Then we get into cameras, hardrives, GoPros, and the list goes on. Then you need all of the cables to keep things charged. Extra data cards. It gets quite overwhelming.

In the end, I'm happy with just the iphone for general everyday use. I have a case that holds an extra big battery and the phone lives in it. I can go a couple days without charging the phone and have plenty of battery left. I do have to upload phots though for backup, or plug the phone into an external harddrive to save all of the photos. The phone has 256 gig of memory, but I take pictures in the "raw" format, so each photo takes up quite a bit of space.

I am quite happy leaving all of the other stuff home.

iPhone + Kindle does it all for me, phone, photos, GPS, backup via ICloud. alldone on one device. Simple cheap reliable.
Slight compromise on photo quality, but one I’m happy to take.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Qualifying my post with not having used it a motorbike adventure but have used it in some pretty rugged circumstances in Uganda whilst deployed on a training team with the Army.


I swear by my Linx 1010 windows tablet; it cost me about £130, came complete with a detachable QWERTY keyboard and is run off a mini usb lead so could share power cables with other devices.


I actually use it as my main laptop for work 9simple Word and excel documents) but can do lots more.


Mine had 64GB onboard storage and has a micro SD card slot which I have another 32 GB in plus a pair of normal USB ports.


Not sure if my model is still produced but specs for a 12.5 inch version can be found below.


https://www.laptopoutlet.co.uk/table...sc&order=price




its not as polished or beautiful as my IPAD but is considerably cheaper and more flexible to use as a multi task laptop.


regards


38

I use for months a tablet and I don't have any complaints.

Netbooks are now out of fashion, so laptop (an ultrabook so it is light and battery lasts for hours) and a phone. I wouldn't bring a tablet anymore unless it is my Kindle because both are more than enough for me.

Agree. I tossed out my tablet and now solely dependent on my phone. Unless I know that there might be work needed to be done while I'm traveling, I bring my macbook air to be sure.

I have the MSI GS65 Stealth 15.6". It has a 6 core i7 processor, 32gb ram and dedicated Nvidia Graphics. I run windows and Linux on it. It's great for video editing on the road and runs Davinci Resolve and Blender without a problem.

I have tried editing video on less powerful systems, but it's not a pleasant experience. This laptop takes everything you throw at it, including 4k without the need to transcode to a mezzanine codec. It was not cheap, but I got a good deal, and in my opinion is much better value than a Mac. Never really got the Mac craze

Had great experience with Mac, my Air has been with me many years, but wouldn't say that I am the most loyal customer. I admit that they can really be overpriced. Smooth experience, but I suppose you would have that with any high powered equipment.

Android Tablet
 

My compromise is a Android 10 " tablet.
Samsung/Huawei
150 €

I do not type blogs or travels stories.
I make my notes the old style. Paper book and pen.
i do not take videos to edit and to update.

I use if for reading information.
Searching for places, booking, reading E-mails, watching youtube or playing some internet chess when resting. But trevelling is also to disconnect and be present where I am and with what I do. So it is limited use.
I want the larger screen than a phone.
But I do not want to carry laptop computer.
and I do not need a computer.

But I undestand people that sit in hotel rooms and edit videos have another need.


The Android tablet runs same apps as android phones.
But it has a screen that works for me.

I used to travel with phone and iPad, nowadays it’s phone and kindle as the iPad was more often used for reading and a kindle is best for that.

Phone is used as GPS, music, internet, camera (and phone).

Keeps life simple and minimises charging issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Ah, how quaint - using it as a phone, so old school :innocent: