TIGERX.COM Public Internet Library: Travel & Being Connected

TIGERX.COM Internet Public Library

Travel & Being Connected

For those of us who travel and need to be connected, there is only one thing that bothers us more than international terrorism or getting ripped off converting money for a cab ride - - and that is checking our email. I personally start to calculate in my mind how many emails will pile up if I take the trip to our associates in Italy... 50 messages a day (on the conservatives side) multiplied by 10 days (also a conservative bare minimum number) equals 500 emails unanswered, a percentage of them are spam, so that is not important... but who wants to come home after traveling the world to hundreds of emails? Imagine the download time on a slow server or connection? Needless to say it can all be overwhelming. So here we offer some suggestions for being connected while on the road and abroad. We will consider cost, convenience and practicality.
First, the most basic details you need to consider: the hardware; how you will connect (a laptop, sub notebook, or palmtop/palm pilot) the software; an ISP (internet service provider), online service and/or access numbers. And finally, if you travel abroad, power and phone adapters (that's right, the US may have invented the phone, electricity and the computer, but power and phone outlets are different throughout the world). If you do not consider these basics, you will find yourself in the south of France, Rome or Istanbul fully equipped with a state-of-the-art laptop… but no way to use their phone connections… and only have a limited amount of time on your laptop battery.
Computers
Desktops - the most economical and practical for common usage
Laptops & Subnotebooks - for those that travel frequently
Palm Pilots, Palmtops, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) - For those who need to get organized, connected & computing without the need for bulk.
Getting Being & Staying Connected
Online Services vs. ISPs - how to get connected to the net
Cell Phone Modems - connecting through your cell phone when landlines are not available
Wireless Modems - being connected without cell phones or landlined phones
International Travel - staying connected in other countries, adapters, ISPs, etc.
Once you have decided on the computer and the hardware you will carry, and which online service provider you will use to call in and access, the only decision left is what adapters to take.

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