On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 09:42:20 +0100, Jack Campin - bogus address
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >>> Why do you need a portable computer when you travel?
    >> "My main use would be net bookings, local info on the net,
    >> a trip diary, emails, possibly voice communication to home
    >> in Oz. Possibly storage and transfer of photos."
    >You can do all that at an internet cafe (except the diary,
    >better in a paper notebook). So I don't see the point.

Internet cafes are almost soulless, expensive, dull environments to be
sitting in, also quite expensive for the trip diary and photo analysis
storage, for me going on holiday to sit in an internet cafe all the
time would be horrible. With a nice cafe, or pub, or in a park with
a laptop is an enjoyable place to site and work on those things. Of
course different people enjoy different things, maybe lots of people
enjoy internet cafes...

Jim.

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:25:05 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Runge" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected].. .
    >> Mauritius is in Europe, stupid ass ?
    >Its nearest neighbour Reunion was the first country in the world to have the
    >Euro as legal tender.

Reunion is an overseas French department, not a country.

--
Martin

"Alan S" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On 19 Jun 2005 09:31:42 -0700, [email protected]
    > wrote:
    > >But tiny Mauritius is about to stake a new claim to fame. By year's
    > >end, or soon afterward, it is expected to become the world's first
    > >nation with coast-to-coast wireless Internet coverage, the first
    > >country to become one big "hot spot."
    > Hi to all you computer experts.
    > Displaying my ignorance here. Would some of the experts here
    > please explain in words of one syllable (suitable for a
    > travelling-laptop-illiterate) how best to travel the world
    > with a portable computer.

Keep it in your hand luggage.

    > Assume only that I know how to use a home PC - just:-)
    > I'm sure I'm not the only one who would appreciate a
    > beginner's course in:
    > Choice: laptops, notebooks, PDA's? Selection criteria?

The 3 most important criteria are:
1) Weight
2) Weight
3) Weight

    > Practical aspects of getting connected: hotels, wireless,
    > cafe's etc and costs of all of that.
    > Traps to be wary of, hints and tips.
    > But first - what is wifi (things like bluetooth, wifi etc
    > are just buzz names to me)? How do you connect in a strange
    > hotel? How do you choose an isp? All that sort of practical
    > stuff.

The most common method I have come across in hotels is to connect via an
ethernet cable, you just plug it in and provided it has been configured on
your PC to automatically allocate an IP address hey-presto it searches and
finds and connects.

The main alternative I have come across is dial up - The hotel telephone has
a (normally USA style) connector to plug your phone number in. and dial
away, There are packages around that will help find a local ISP and Windows
200 has its own built in package to do that. Or you can google for some
before you go.

Wireless connections are still fairly rare (IME) and you will need a
wireless card and simply configure it - probably with the user ID and
password given to you by the hotel, again making sure you are set to
automatically find an IP address.

    > My main use would be net bookings, local info on the net, a
    > trip diary, emails, possibly voice communication to home in
    > Oz. Possibly storage and transfer of photos.

Many of the better hotels have an internet connected PC sitting in the lobby
for guests to use free of charge.


The biggest issue is that the hotel connections usually don't allow outbound
email SMTP sending, so using a web based email hotmail,gmail etc is ideal.
Inbound (POP3) email should work fine.

    > Last time I spent a significant time searching for internet
    > cafe's to book ahead through Priceline, Venere etc. A
    > computer would be nice to have, but I don't want to find the
    > cost of it's use is more than I'd save on the hotels, rental
    > cars and internet cafe's.

The biggest pain would be carrying the thing around and making sure it is
safe and secure - Which is why I never take mine on vacations only on
business trips.

"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:25:05 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    > >
    > >"Runge" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > >news:[email protected].. .
    > >> Mauritius is in Europe, stupid ass ?
    > >>
    > >
    > >Its nearest neighbour Reunion was the first country in the world to have
the
    > >Euro as legal tender.
    > Reunion is an overseas French department, not a country.


OK:

Its nearest neighbour Reunion was the first place in the world to have the
Euro as legal tender.

On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 11:17:58 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected].. .
    >> On Mon, 20 Jun 2005 10:25:05 +0100, "Miss L. Toe"
    >> <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> >
    >> >"Runge" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >> >news:[email protected].. .
    >> >> Mauritius is in Europe, stupid ass ?
    >> >>
    >> >
    >> >Its nearest neighbour Reunion was the first country in the world to have
    >the
    >> >Euro as legal tender.
    >> Reunion is an overseas French department, not a country.
    >OK:
    >Its nearest neighbour Reunion was the first place in the world to have the
    >Euro as legal tender.

    :-)

--
Martin

"Jack Campin" <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> "My main use would be net bookings, local info on the net,
    >> a trip diary, emails, possibly voice communication to home
    >> in Oz. Possibly storage and transfer of photos."
    > You can do all that at an internet cafe (except the diary,
    > better in a paper notebook). So I don't see the point.

In the past, I lugged laptops all over for these purposes, and as
a GPS display while driving. I stopped, finding that are many
less cumbersome ways of accomplishing the same things. If I
want an internet connection, I use my hotel's business center or
a nearby internet cafe.

Recently in Venice, I misplaced a couple of tour vouchers. I
stepped into an internet cafe just North of the Bridge of Sighs,
reprinted the vouchers and read my e-mail. The total cost was
3 Euros. But uploading photos can take a lot of time. IMO, its
simply better (lighter) to carry extra memory cards instead.

OTOH, next time I will carry a DVD player. I'd like to watch
Tommy Lee Jones speak English, not dubbed Italian. :-)
=R=

Jim Ley writes:

    > Internet cafes are almost soulless, expensive, dull environments to be
    > sitting in ...

It doesn't matter if you spend the time hunched over a PC.

--
Transpose gmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Jim Ley <[email protected]> wrote:

[]
    > Internet cafes are almost soulless, expensive, dull environments to be
    > sitting in, also quite expensive for the trip diary and photo analysis
    > storage, for me going on holiday to sit in an internet cafe all the
    > time would be horrible. With a nice cafe, or pub, or in a park with
    > a laptop is an enjoyable place to site and work on those things. Of
    > course different people enjoy different things, maybe lots of people
    > enjoy internet cafes...

All things being considered, I'd rather use my own laptop than be in an
internet cafe. I remember a rather unpleasant internet cafe in Barcelona
last year where it was very hot (much hotter than the outside
temperature) and horribly smoky. When I travel on business, I take my
laptop, but I really wouldn't want to do so when on holiday- just
another thing to worry about carrying around- I know it suits some
people more than others.

I just use my phone to read email etc., get news headlines etc., while
on holiday, and so far that has been quite a cost effective option.

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco <[email protected]> wrote:
    >> Internet cafes are almost soulless, expensive, dull environments to be
    >> sitting in, also quite expensive for the trip diary and photo analysis
    >> storage, for me going on holiday to sit in an internet cafe all the
    >> time would be horrible. With a nice cafe, or pub, or in a park with
    >> a laptop is an enjoyable place to site and work on those things. Of
    >> course different people enjoy different things, maybe lots of people
    >> enjoy internet cafes...

    > All things being considered, I'd rather use my own laptop than be in an
    > internet cafe. I remember a rather unpleasant internet cafe in Barcelona
    > last year where it was very hot (much hotter than the outside
    > temperature) and horribly smoky. When I travel on business, I take my
    > laptop, but I really wouldn't want to do so when on holiday- just
    > another thing to worry about carrying around- I know it suits some
    > people more than others.

Internet Cafes are all over the place. There's one in Munich where you can
get a decent pizza and order wine, with music playing, and it's quite
inexpensive. Another one in the Hauptbahnhof had a nice bar and was very
pleasant with friendly people. In Berlin, they have a couple of terminals in
the main lobby of the youth hostel. A little bit institutional, but nice and
fun. Also a small cafe/bar there. I've been in plenty of soulless ones, the
one in Rothenburg ob du Tauber comes to mind, computers in study carrels.

The coffee and internet in Cozumel was charming and bright and colorful and
pleasant. The one in Rome was cold and impersonal.

Can't characterize them one way or the other. When I'm travelling, I try to
minimize internet usage, but I might upload photos, keep in touch with email
and the like. I prefer an internet cafe where I can connect via a web browser
to my own domain and take care of stuff. I backpack and would rather not carry
a computer!

Julie




--
Julie
**********
Check out the blog of my 9 week Germany adventure at www.blurty.com/users/jholm
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm

In article <[email protected] ws.net>,
"Miss L. Toe" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > "Jack Campin - bogus address" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > >> Why do you need a portable computer when you travel?
    > > > "My main use would be net bookings, local info on the net,
    > > > a trip diary, emails, possibly voice communication to home
    > > > in Oz. Possibly storage and transfer of photos."
    > >
    > > You can do all that at an internet cafe (except the diary,
    > > better in a paper notebook). So I don't see the point.
    >
    > Its nicer and more convenient to do it from a hotel room.

Plus the security risks of using a public computer. You don't know if
there are key loggers and such.

And even using your own computer at a public hotspot carries risk.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Jim Ley) wrote:

    > Internet cafes are almost soulless, expensive, dull environments to be
    > sitting in, also quite expensive for the trip diary and photo analysis
    > storage, for me going on holiday to sit in an internet cafe all the
    > time would be horrible. With a nice cafe, or pub, or in a park with
    > a laptop is an enjoyable place to site and work on those things. Of
    > course different people enjoy different things, maybe lots of people
    > enjoy internet cafes...

I've done it both ways, lug a laptop on one trip, use an Internet cafe
in another.

More and more accommodations, even in Europe (which trails North America
and Asia for broadband infrastructure), are offering ADSL connections.

So it's tempting, especially on an extended trip, to lug your laptop,
along with the digital camera and the iPods. The only question is the
peace of mind of leaving a laptop in your hotel or vacation rental
during the day.

In article <[email protected]>,
"Rog'" <[email protected]> wrote:

    > > Alan S writes:
    > >> Displaying my ignorance here. Would some of the experts
    > >> here please explain in words of one syllable (suitable for a
    > >> travelling-laptop-illiterate) how best to travel the world
    > >> with a portable computer.
    >
    > There are books on this subject, like the Internet for Dummies.
    > Expecting someone here to write off the cuff is a bit much.
    > Why not visit a library, a bookstore, or www.amazon.com . =R=

Here's an overview.

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roa...tconnecting.ht
m

They seem to have articles on other travel technology, like cell phones.

In article <[email protected]>,
Alan S <[email protected]> wrote:

    > That's why I come here instead of just reading LP, or Rough
    > Guide, or tourist web-sites etc for other travel tips.

Okay a quick swag.

More and more laptops have wireless access built in these days.
Wireless laptops are in all price ranges so you're not going to save a
lot of money by not getting one.

These will also have ethernet connections and usually a built-in dialup
modem, so most connection options will be covered.

I've browsed around hotels and if you check the amenities listed at
sites like Expedia, some will list complementary or paid broadband.
These could be wireless or they could be ethernet connections. Then
finally most hotels will at least have dataports or just a telephone
line to connect to a local ISP.

Some people who rent apartments to tourists will also have cable or DSL
connections.

Main concern with wireless is security. At a public hotspot (either
free or paid), when you check email, your password will be sent in the
clear unless your email account provider (usually the ISP) provides SSL,
which encrypts or scrambles your email password. If you're connected
with an ethernet cable or even a dialup, security is less of a concern
but these days, most ISPs should provide POP email accounts with SSL.

Alternative is web email accounts like Yahoo or Gmail, where you can use
an encrypted web page to authenticate (the little lock icon when you use
a secure page). Some ISPs also have web email access too.
Incidentally, if you check your bank web site or say buy something on
Amazon, usually these are encrypted so entering passwords and credit
card numbers should be less of a concern, whether on a wireless or wired
connection.

Beyond that, you of course have to worry about the physical security of
your laptop, if you leave it at unfamiliar places. You can buy cable
locks which attach to the laptop but these won't stop professional
thieves. Of course hotels offer safes, including some in hotel rooms.

Then there are insurance policies to protect against theft, like
www.safeware.com.

But people are also concerned about losing their data. Macs come with
an ability to encrypt key directory containing user data with the OS.
Not sure if Windows does but there are surely security products which
will also encrypt or password-protect the entire contents of the hard
drive.

In article <[email protected]>,
jcoulter <[email protected]> wrote:

    > I use my PDA though because it is my office, as a travel agent I can do
    > business almost anywhere if I can get connected. So with a quad band
    > phone, an international roaming sim, and a PDA that connect either to
    > the wifi hot spot or through data dial up and bluetooth I am ready to
    > go.

I've looked at PDAs, which are kind of being displaced by the PDA/phone
combos like the Treos.

Standalone PDAs can get expensive, sometimes over $500. At that point,
you're encroaching on laptop territory when it comes to price.

Sure you can't beat the weight. But if you want something that you plan
to use at home, not just for travel, then a laptop offers more
capabilities and certainly utility.

Except for the weight of course.

poldy wrote:
    > In article <[email protected]>,
    > jcoulter <[email protected]> wrote:
    > > I use my PDA though because it is my office, as a travel agent I can do
    > > business almost anywhere if I can get connected. So with a quad band
    > > phone, an international roaming sim, and a PDA that connect either to
    > > the wifi hot spot or through data dial up and bluetooth I am ready to
    > > go.
    > I've looked at PDAs, which are kind of being displaced by the PDA/phone
    > combos like the Treos.
    > Standalone PDAs can get expensive, sometimes over $500. At that point,
    > you're encroaching on laptop territory when it comes to price.
    > Sure you can't beat the weight. But if you want something that you plan
    > to use at home, not just for travel, then a laptop offers more
    > capabilities and certainly utility.
    > Except for the weight of course.

take a look at the new Sony Vaio with a 10 inch screen, weighs bugger
all (2kg), but not cheap in Europe, so combine a trip to the states or
hong kong for the purchase. About Euro 2000.