Laptop traveling tips?

[helen]

Even through I have been dealing with computers for a long time what I truely lack is experience with laptops (Windows XP Home based) in general and using them on a long distance trip.

I know I supposed to treat the laptop as a carry on item as opposed to checking it as baggage at the airlines.

I am also wondering when I arrive at the other place, do I set the laptop's time zone to match the local time zone or keep it on Hawaii Standard Time?

[joshuatree]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

If you're traveling by plane, always have the laptop handy to be removed from it's carrying case so you can separately have it X-rayed through security. As for time settings, I find that to be more of a personal preference, not unless you've got an app that is time sensitive and you need to sync to local time. If you're traveling outside of the US, be sure to get some power adapters too.

[blueyecicle]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

Not that I am an expert but I always use my laptop as a carry on. Heaven forbid they toss it like they do luggage! Should have seen my new light pink luggage when I got to my destination last year!!

AND I change my time zones to keep my head current, but if I don't want to yet, I set a weather desktop to the state I am going to to keep me current on time zones. Just me though
Cause I am weird like that. When I was in Arizona I didn't want to change the tie zone yet.

If I remember right you are headed to Texas??!! Have a ball!! It is fun! I am itching to go back. Did you decide on a steak house?

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

Even through I have been dealing with computers for a long time what I truely lack is experience with laptops (Windows XP Home based) in general and using them on a long distance trip.

I know I supposed to treat the laptop as a carry on item as opposed to checking it as baggage at the airlines.

I am also wondering when I arrive at the other place, do I set the laptop's time zone to match the local time zone or keep it on Hawaii Standard Time?

Laptops should always be carry-on items. I use a laptop carrying case that doubles as my carry-on. I don't think the average laptop would survive the checked baggage ordeal.

IME you'll have to remove the laptop from the carrying case and place it in one of those grey bins when you go through security, separate from the case. It sometimes gets a bit crazy---your purse, carryon, jacket, shoes, and the laptop. As strange as it sounds, airports have reported a tremendous number of cases of mistaken identity involving laptops going through the security scanner. Not theft, necessarily, just people picking up laptops belonging to others because of similar appearance and rushing through security. Because of this they advise that you tape a business card or name sticker on your laptop. I tape that to the bottom and I also have a cute honu sticker in the middle of the cover of my laptop---it stands out in what sometimes is a sea of similar laptops.

They might ask you to turn it on, too.

I change the time to the time zone of wherever I am. That would be personal preference, I guess.

For HSIA I also carry a short ethernet cable in case the hotel room doesn't have one. A single surge protector, too. If you use wireless you already know how that works.

Have a safe trip!

[Palama Kid]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

Where wireless internet is available at airports, having my iBook makes delays more palatable. Paying $6.95 for a day's worth of internet time @ HNL was a cheap enough way to kill my last four-hour delay.

Have a safe trip . . .

BTW I was last in Amarillo ten years ago in March. The bone-chilling winds are what I most remember. Can't remember too much about the food.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

I've packed my in the luggage. Too heavy to carry along with all the other stuff I keep with me. Usually I keep it in it's bag. I always pack it in such a way that it's in the middle of the clothing so it's protected on all sides. Do remove the battery so it can't come on accidental. I think this also prevents TSA for opening the luggage (no battery - harmless. Or something like that.)

Get a list of dial-up numbers for your destination - just in case. It's probably too late now to see if your hotel has free wireless. Some do, some don't have it at all.

Make sure you have a backup of all your valuable information (photos, email, etc.) before you leave. In case the computer gets stolen. Have a plan to backup the photos taken on your trip and keep them separate from the computer so it's not stolen at the same time. Burnable CDs or DVDs may work. A portable hard drive would be nicer.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

I've packed my in the luggage. Too heavy to carry along with all the other stuff I keep with me. Usually I keep it in it's bag. I always pack it in such a way that it's in the middle of the clothing so it's protected on all sides. Do remove the battery so it can't come on accidental. I think this also prevents TSA for opening the luggage (no battery - harmless. Or something like that.)

Yikes. I would never even consider packing an item that is worth up to thousands of dollars in checked baggage. No way. Add to that the "gorillas playing with luggage" image of my laptop being tossed merrily onto the baggage carts....nope.

Where wireless internet is available at airports, having my iBook makes delays more palatable. Paying $6.95 for a day's worth of internet time @ HNL was a cheap enough way to kill my last four-hour delay.

Even cheaper in the airport at San Jose. Like, FREE. What one would expect of Silicon Valley, I guess.

[shaveice]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

don't know if you've left already but i usually make copies of installation files for programs that i know i'll be using; it's so cheap and easy to do; if you don't need it, you can just toss it. i also burn stuff that i'm taking on a CD or DVD; e.g., image files, templates for web stuff, etc.. i also have a list of usernames and passwords for sites that i need to log into, just in case; e.g., web hosting sites if i need to modify a site while i'm on the road.

take blank CDS and DVDs with you; cheap and easy to back up files that you create while you're on the road.

don't think you're going overseas but if you are, take some adapters with you. as you know, other countries have different kinds of outlets so i always take a universal converter.

just some ideas off the cuff...

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

don't think you're going overseas but if you are, take some adapters with you. as you know, other countries have different kinds of outlets so i always take a universal converter.

That's a whole subject in itself.

If your AC adapter can work on 240, then you only need a small adapter that allows it to connect to the outlet. But if it can only work on 120, then you need a transformer designed for electronics to step down the voltage.

When I visited Japan one of my surprises is that I needed a common two-prong to 3 prong adapter. For some odd reason, all of their outlets are two prong while my computer is a 3 prong cable.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

Yikes. I would never even consider packing an item that is worth up to thousands of dollars in checked baggage. No way. Add to that the "gorillas playing with luggage" image of my laptop being tossed merrily onto the baggage carts....nope.

I'm used to packing things for shipping via UPS/Fed Ex/USPS. Same concept. (apes tossing things into carts. )

[helen]

Re: Laptop traveling tips?

don't know if you've left already but i usually make copies of installation files for programs that i know i'll be using;

take blank CDS and DVDs with you; cheap and easy to back up files that you create while you're on the road.

I'm back from my trip. I did change my laptop's time zone to match the local time zone but when I did that the events in my Outlook (2003) calendar shifted as well. Luckly the laptop wasn't my primary home computer and the events that got shifted was just related to the trip itself. I only had to reschedule them which was less than 10 events. Did discover Outlook's feature of having an alternate time zone so I will look into it further.

I did take at least 4 thumb drives with me as well 3 different digital cameras and a bunch of memory cards.

Part of our plan was to go to a store when we got to Amarillo to pick up supplies that we needed in Amarillo but not needed during the plane trip itself. For example I carried extra AA batteries for the cameras since they would be used during the plane trip but not stuff like 9 volt and AAA batteries and blank CD-R's.