RTW with a laptop / notebook

genoflect

Hi again

I really am confused wether to bring a laptop/notebook with me travelling. Wi-Fi and maybe footie manger, the main reasons. I dont want to spend halt the time worrying if it will be robbed or not. Iv been told that internet everywhere and that i wouldnt have time to play any games etc cos u be mingling

Cheers

jimmypitt

genoflect wrote: »

Hi again

I really am confused wether to bring a laptop/notebook with me travelling. Wi-Fi and maybe footie manger, the main reasons. I dont want to spend halt the time worrying if it will be robbed or not. Iv been told that internet everywhere and that i wouldnt have time to play any games etc cos u be mingling

Cheers

Pick up a refurbished notebook off laptopsdirect.ie for around 200. That way if you lose it then it wont be the end of the world. There are handy for storing photos too. You can't be mingling/boosing every night. Sometimes it will be nice to chill out and play the computer for a few hours...In the broad scheme of things an extra 200/250 on top of what you will probably spend is not that much...

genoflect

yeh, fair point

Iam also thinking what could be saved using skype etc instead of phone bills. ill have a look at that site but i think id prefer one new with watrrenty etc

jimmypitt

genoflect wrote: »

yeh, fair point

Iam also thinking what could be saved using skype etc instead of phone bills. ill have a look at that site but i think id prefer one new with watrrenty etc

you get 3 month warranty and can add 12 months extra warranty for 15 snots...

genoflect

yeh, checking out that website now, i was looking at dell mini for 300 snots + . Would they be pretty handy for holding and playing a game or 2. U know storage and speed etc

unreggd

genoflect wrote: »

yeh, checking out that website now, i was looking at dell mini for 300 snots + . Would they be pretty handy for holding and playing a game or 2. U know storage and speed etc

Nope

Netbooks are purely for internet and email, and even then they wudnt be too fast

Honestly, I wouldnt bring a laptop travelling
Power supplies may be an issue
You'll worry abt it being stolen, and it'll take up a decent amount of space

Maybe bring a PDA with wifi so you can check emails/surf the net as you need, but even still, most places you go should have internet cafes

as for games, look up arcades

[Jackass]

Aw are you mental??

Laptop is ESSENTIAL for travelling. What are you going to do? Call your mother from a payphone to say you made it ok at $3.50 a minute instead of free endless skype chats??

How will you keep in touch with your friends?? Every now and then pass an internet cafe and get onto facebook and send around a few emails??

What will you do when you're bored? Read the same book over and over?? The internet is an endless book my friend

I wouldn't survive travelling without my laptop and would spend a fortune trying to and would be a hell of a lot more miserable if I didn't have all my friends and family at my finger tips 24 / 7.

In fact, funnily enough, I'm sitting on a 4 hour bus journey to New York right now with free wifi. I've been emailing friends, checking out what's going on back home on facebook...and now even reading boards to pass the time!

Do it man, a little notebook, cost you a couple hundred, will save you money in long run and the convenience of it is essential. (today internet was down in apartment and I had to ride subway downtown to internet cafe as was job and apartment hunting...real pain in the ass when I could have done it from bed...)

unreggd

[Jackass] wrote: »

Aw are you mental??

Laptop is ESSENTIAL for travelling. What are you going to do? Call your mother from a payphone to say you made it ok at $3.50 a minute instead of free endless skype chats??

How will you keep in touch with your friends?? Every now and then pass an internet cafe and get onto facebook and send around a few emails??

What will you do when you're bored? Read the same book over and over?? The internet is an endless book my friend

I wouldn't survive travelling without my laptop and would spend a fortune trying to and would be a hell of a lot more miserable if I didn't have all my friends and family at my finger tips 24 / 7.

In fact, funnily enough, I'm sitting on a 4 hour bus journey to New York right now with free wifi. I've been emailing friends, checking out what's going on back home on facebook...and now even reading boards to pass the time!

Do it man, a little notebook, cost you a couple hundred, will save you money in long run and the convenience of it is essential. (today internet was down in apartment and I had to ride subway downtown to internet cafe as was job and apartment hunting...real pain in the ass when I could have done it from bed...)

OP never said how homesick they'd be

Personally, I don't see the point of playing games and stuff like I'd be doin back home

And you shouldn't need your family at your fingertips 24/7 if your out exploring and meeting new people

Anyways, I suggested a PDA / iPhone
Most have Wifi and take sim cards, so use wifi spots and a local sim. Load one with Skype + MSN. Sorted

The OP said themselves it's already seeming to be a bit of a liability (fear of theft etc)

dory

It's the kind of thing that you could write a bit pro list for and a big con.

I had a big 15'' laptop for my 15 months rtw trip. For me it was brilliant. I barely drink so got bored of pubs fairly soon and I'm an avid blogger and general computer user so for me it was great. And I like to stay in the one place for 2-3 months so at those times it was great. I left it in a locker in Quito for 3 months while I went off to Central America and it was fine.

That said, if I was on a 2 month interrailing trip no way would I bring it. I would only do it for longer trips.

Someone up there said something like 'Why would you want to do something you cudl do at home'. Well, after so long on the road you simply have to do something that is normal to you. As amazing and exciting as everything is, it's nice to have some semblance of your normal life at the same time. So I wouldn't worry about that. I hated having this feeling when I was travelling that I had to be out living each day to the max. Sometime you just gotta chill.

jimmypitt

dory wrote: »

It's the kind of thing that you could write a bit pro list for and a big con.

I had a big 15'' laptop for my 15 months rtw trip. For me it was brilliant. I barely drink so got bored of pubs fairly soon and I'm an avid blogger and general computer user so for me it was great. And I like to stay in the one place for 2-3 months so at those times it was great. I left it in a locker in Quito for 3 months while I went off to Central America and it was fine.

That said, if I was on a 2 month interrailing trip no way would I bring it. I would only do it for longer trips.

Someone up there said something like 'Why would you want to do something you cudl do at home'. Well, after so long on the road you simply have to do something that is normal to you. As amazing and exciting as everything is, it's nice to have some semblance of your normal life at the same time. So I wouldn't worry about that. I hated having this feeling when I was travelling that I had to be out living each day to the max. Sometime you just gotta chill.

Well said, anyone who has actually gone travelling for a decent period of time knows you simply can't live life to the max every day - simply not possible. I always enjoyed a DVD a night when i wanted to just chill out.

Amazotheamazing

I think it depends on the person, I'd be online quite a bit between various sites and emails etc but some of my friends wouldn't go online from week to the next. Be honest with yourself, if you're going to spend a lot of time online (and remember, you will have a lot of time to fill, you can only be dazzled by so many temples in one day), then it's a good investment, imo.

darrenh

I think it's worth bringing one. It can save a lot of money and time. You wont always be on the go and it's nice to be able to sit in comfort with your own laptop and watch a dvd or call home.

If your on here wondering wether you need one I reckon your the kind of person who will make use of it. It's not a hassle to carry, You can lock it in hostel safes or better still get a slash proof bag that you can lock to and imovable object (thats what i did).