Here is the trick to always having free WI-FI everywhere:

Get yourself a wardriving cantenna and a PCMCIA card with an external
antenna port.

Information on Cantennas can be found all over the net, higher-end
version can be purchased on E-Bay for well below $100, including a
proper PCMCIA card.

They are small enough that they can be checked into your luggage.

When you get to your hotel, in Europe or anywhere else in the world,
hook up your cantenna and run a free program called netstumbler,
available at www.netstumbler.com. It will locate all access points near
by and tell you if they are encrypted or not. While you have the AP
located, move the antenna until you get the best reading and there you
are; Free Wi-fi.

I live in a small town and there are 3 access points I can connect to
at my house if I needed to. In a real city or an apartment, hotel or
neighborhood, you will be amazed.

Warning: I am not advocating doing something illegal, check the laws
before you start "wardriving" or "Netstumbling".

In article <[email protected] .com>,
[email protected] wrote:

    > 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.

Sony Vaios have a certain reputation for bad service and reliability.

The designs are sleek and undeniably sexy but they charge a premium at
every price point.

Their ultra-small models are really expensive.

poldy <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    > In article <[email protected] .com>,
    > [email protected] wrote:
    >
    >> 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.
    >
    > Sony Vaios have a certain reputation for bad service and reliability.
    >
    > The designs are sleek and undeniably sexy but they charge a premium at
    > every price point.
    >
    > Their ultra-small models are really expensive.
    >

One reason that I have kept withthe IPAQ for small efficient and power
packed (Plus I hate the SONY do it our way or no way philosphy)


--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

poldy wrote:
    > In article <[email protected] .com>,
    > [email protected] wrote:
    > > 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.
    > Sony Vaios have a certain reputation for bad service and reliability.
    > The designs are sleek and undeniably sexy but they charge a premium at
    > every price point.
    > Their ultra-small models are really expensive.

I have a Toshiba bought in January 2005, it already needs a new
hibernation switch, my girlfriend has a HP from a few months earlier
that has already had a new back light. I will let you know if the vaio
breaks down.