The Laptop Computer Essentials for Road Warriors
Travelling for business while still staying connected to the office has become a lot easier in the past few years. I remember a decade or so ago travelling with a laptop that felt like a suitcase, a cellular phone that was as big and heavy as a brick and with a huge bag of tricks to allow me to connect to my modem to be able to stay in contact with my office. Among the little tools I had to carry was a screwdriver, to disconnect telephone sockets, and a really long modem cable. Luckily those days are over, but there are still some tricks that I throw into my computer backpack to make life easier.
Some backup storage
I always make sure I carry a couple of USB Flash Drives with me at all times. I also make a habit of copying really essential files onto them as I go. That includes work I do on airplane flights That way if my laptop is stolen at the airport (its happened) I don’t lose all of my work.
Cloud storage
This is part two of my crazy backup strategy but I always make sure I have important documents and files backed up in the cloud. Often I just use Google Docs and upload things I’m working on. I also have a subscription to Apple .me service so use their virtual drive. There are free options too. Sugarsync offers some space for free as does Microsoft. With all key documents backed up I know I can sit down anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection and can access documents I’m busy with. And where there is no Internet connection I always have my USB flash drive to fall back on.
Portable mouse
A track pad on a small laptop is great for when you are on an airplane or in a coffee shop. But when you are sitting down to do some serious work in a hotel room, it really helps to have a real mouse.
Wireless data stick
I also have a wireless data stick. It doesn’t offer the fastest connection in the world, but it is better than nothing if I can’t find a Wifi connection, and it is a lot cheaper than paying for expensive Wifi connectivity in some hotels.
Good luck on the road.
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