Travel Technology - Would you take your laptop on this itinerary?

I have an upcoming month-long vacation and have decided not to bring my laptop -- just a UBS memory key. I was wondering if other posters would do the same.

I am flying out of TLV. In the airport, I could use my laptop and get free internet connection. If I pay $22 I can go into the Dan Lounge, get all the soft drinks and cakes I want, and use their computers.

I have a short connection in ATL and won't have time to get on line there anyhow.

I will then be spending 5 nights in the Sheraton Suites in Plantation, FL. They have computers available in their Business Lounge. I will also be spending 2 nights at the Embassy Suites in Boca. I don't know if they have computers available but there will be a number of F/Ters there for a Meet and several have told me I can use their laptops.

From there, I fly out of FLL -- where I would be able to get on line for free if I had my computer with me. I will then have a very long connection in ATL. I don't know what the connection situation is there.

After that, I will be spending 3 weeks in my UIG's (Used Italian Girlfriend's) homes in Milan and Lugano. She has cable connection in Milan and dial up in Lugano, so there is no need for my computer.

My big problem in taking my computer is that I am flying El Al from MXP-TLV and from time to time they get very strict about enforcing an 8 kilo weight limit on hand luggage. The computer and peripheral equipment weighs about 3 kilos.

Would you bring it or leave it at home?

personally, I haul mine just about everywhere.

Besides laptop, noise cancelling headphones, cell phone, book, passport/tix and DVDs, not much else I need to put in hand luggage if I am already checking baggage, therefore not sure what would push you over the extra 5kg.

The bag itself is about 2 kilos. On top of that, I always wind up buying some stuff that is either too fragile or too valuable to put into my checked luggage.

The bag itself is about 2 kilos. On top of that, I always wind up buying some stuff that is either too fragile or too valuable to put into my checked luggage.A good reason to get a lighter bag! I recently retired my heavy leather computer bag for one of these (http://www.crumpler.ca/Cart/Resources/CartResources/200_res/b200_o1.jpg) and am very impressed with how lightweight it is, even with a 17" MacBook Pro inside! ;)

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Thanks...
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Unless there is some dying need to get online during the trip, I would leave it and all the associated stuff behind. The embassy will probably have one in their lobby or business center, most of them do, I would go that route.

It does not sound like you need anything that is on the laptop itself, so it sounds like a whole lot of trouble to carry the bag half-way across the world to be able to use it very infrequently.

Yes. Laptop goes everywhere.

Also, consider getting a smaller and lighter laptop (~1kg) and/or a lighter bag.

Unless there is some dying need to get online during the trip, I would leave it and all the associated stuff behind. The embassy will probably have one in their lobby or business center, most of them do, I would go that route.

It does not sound like you need anything that is on the laptop itself, so it sounds like a whole lot of trouble to carry the bag half-way across the world to be able to use it very infrequently.

I agree with you both -- and said in the OP that I would not be taking it. I was just curious about how others would react in the same situation.

In fact, until last year I was one of the people who took his laptop on every trip. I finally decided I was being silly.

Note: I have a 13 hour flight in a 777. If it offered wireless connection then I would be taking the laptop -- there is nothing like being on the internet to help time go quickly on a flight.

I have an upcoming month-long vacation and have decided not to bring my laptop -- just a UBS memory key. I was wondering if other posters would do the same.

...

Would you bring it or leave it at home?

Depends on how much you value your privacy. When you take your laptop, your biggest threats are possibly nosy customs officials and petty thieves.

However, when you use Internet computers in lounges and at hotels, then essentially all the e-mails you look at, and all the passwords you enter, are up for grabs. For just about anyone with access to these computers.

For me, it's laptop or no computer at all.

I abhor using shared computers/lounge computers. Mind you shared WiFi may not be much better but at least I can encrypt the traffic! tlr said it very well; it all depends on how much you value your privacy.

If you do decide to use shared computers, absolutely change the passwords to any site/service you'll use while on the road to a temporary password that isn't one you've used before or will use again; then change them back upon your return. That at least will limit the damage if someone is using a keylogger. I would not log into any sensitive sites (banking, trading, etc) from a computer that wasn't mine.

One way around this might be to get a PDA phone that has email and web browsing capabilities. You can ditch the laptop but stay plugged in. I couldn't ever leave my laptop behind. It's work+mobile entertainment+communications device. This quandry is precisely why I got a 3lb subnotebook. Good luck and have a great trip!

Dovster,

I would take my laptop on this itin, as I take it everywhere, so the answer is yes.

Toda rabah

My laptop goes where I go.
I would take it on your routing, and get a lighter bag.

I leave mine behind all the time.

I either use friends, lounge computers or an internet cafe. Of course I don't do any banking etc., while using another computer, but for general surfing that is good enough.

My next trip I will use my Nokia E61, one of the reasons I bought it was for the WLAN capabilities.

ES has wireless network 10 bucks or free for Diamonds
ATL also has wireless I think also ten bucks for 24 hours

Mine goes with me everywhere....

So what I am hearing is we will have a month .... ^

removed as it cited now-deleted quote.

I will then be spending 5 nights in the Sheraton Suites in Plantation, FL. They have computers available in their Business Lounge. I will also be spending 2 nights at the Embassy Suites in Boca. I don't know if they have computers available but there will be a number of F/Ters there for a Meet and several have told me I can use their laptops.There is a 24-hour FedEx Kinkos just down University Avenue from your Plantation Hotel (just before the intersection of University and I-595). Also a second location in the opposite direction, at the corner of University and Oakland Park, however, it closes at 10:00 PM each evening.

In Boca, there's a number of Fed Ex Kinkos locations, including one on Federal Highway and one on Glades Road just before the entrance to the Turnpike.

Also, IIRC, there is a Laptop Lane location in ATL.

You haven't told us what applications you need which puts us (or at least me) at somewhat of a disadvantage. If you don't use off the rack applications, you are always at a disadvantage.

I worry alot about keyboard sniffers in public internet cafes. Kinko's new setup is pretty good at checking for these varmints, but nothing is perfect. On a USB key, you can rig them up to run a series of applications automatically including good trojan hunters.

Alternatively, you can go for a bootable linux usb key. They don't work in some setups, but it keeps the internet cafe's OS out of the picture. Here is a link to a Link (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1846805,00.asp) on the subject.

Here is an interesting "how to" on the subject. Link (http://www.mepis.org/node/465)

You haven't told us what applications you need which puts us (or at least me) at somewhat of a disadvantage. If you don't use off the rack applications, you are always at a disadvantage.

I will be checking e-mail, using a browser, and doing some work with Notepad and Word.

The only problem I can foresee is with Word and once I get to Italy I know that I can access and work on my Word texts with my UIG's computer and my UBS key.

If you have a gmail account, you can upload your docs to Google documents and work on them that way when connected.