Traveling Light

What to pack, what to leave, and how to deal.

James A. Martin

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Feature: Tips for Traveling Light

On a recent cross-country trip, I felt your pain.

I'm talking about you, the mobile professional with a bulging notebook bag slung over your soon-to-be-dislocated shoulder. I watched and winced as you schlepped through airport terminals, burdened by an overstuffed computer bag or backpack.

And I have just two words of advice: Lighten up.

Actually, this week's newsletter offers much more than two words of advice. Keep reading for tips on how to lighten your load on your next gadget-laden journey.

Go With an Ultraportable

If you're in the market for a new notebook, and you travel frequently, consider an ultraportable. Though they require some compromises (such as smallish keyboards), ultraportable notebooks often weigh only 3 to 4 pounds. By comparison, many desktop replacement and all-purpose notebooks weigh over 6 pounds.

PC World's monthly Top 15 Notebook PCs includes specs such as weight, screen size, and the like. (For the latest ultraportable picks, scroll down to the bottom third of the chart.) Among recent chart-topping ultraportables is the Dell Latitude X300, which weighs only 4 pounds, including the AC adapter. The Dell Latitude X300 starts at $1474; for details, go to the company's Web site.

Travel With a Lightweight Bag

Most non-wheeled computer bags and briefcases weigh at least 3 pounds, even when empty. By contrast, wheeled bags often weigh 7 to 10 pounds. I generally prefer wheeled bags, because they're easier on your body. But if you'll have to carry your bag up steps, or you must put it in an overhead airplane bin, you might be better off with a lightweight briefcase such as the Case Logic EVA Shuttle or a backpack such as Briggs & Riley's Transcend Backpack.

The Case Logic EVA Shuttle ($20), which I've not tested, weighs only 1 pound. The downside: While there's room for 8.5 by 11 files and writing pads, there are no pockets for accessories such as a notebook's AC adapter.

Briggs & Riley's Transcend Backpack ($124), weighing 3 pounds, is made of lightweight, durable fabric. Plus, it offers plenty of convenient pockets. I've used this versatile backpack on several trips, and I recommend it. But the removable notebook "sling" that's included is too small to fit most medium-to-large notebooks. My solution: When I use this backpack, I put my notebook in a padded sleeve, which then goes in the bag.

For my review of the Transcend Backpack, read "Gear Bags."

Many padded notebook sleeves weigh less than 5 ounces and cost under $20. The padded sleeve I use is Tumi's Notebook Computer Insert. At $65, it's pricey but well-padded computer protection, and it has two exterior pockets for CDs, DVDs, or other discs. For more options, browse EBags' selection.

Bring Fewer Power Adapters

Many mobile professionals travel with a notebook, a cell phone or smart phone, and a PDA. Some add an MP3 player and a digital camera. Each of these gadgets needs to be powered or recharged--which means lugging a lot of AC adapters.

Consider packing instead a versatile power adapter such as Mobility Electronics' IGo Juice ($120). The IGo Juice powers or recharges a wide variety of notebooks, PDAs, and cell phones using interchangeable power tips. And it works with AC outlets, automobile cigarette lighters, and airline power ports. The end result is that you pack only one power brick, which weighs 6.79 ounces, and several tiny attachments for your devices. Whenever I travel with my notebook and digital toys, I carry IGo Juice.

Another option is to power or recharge your gadgets using your notebook's USB port. Zip-Linq is among the Web sites offering a variety of small, retractable cables (about $10) that connect, and power, your cell phone or PDA to a USB port.

Minimize Bag Clutter

As gadget-toting professionals, we walk a fine line between being appropriately prepared and grossly overpacked. To lighten your load, think twice about everything you put in your bag. For instance, do you usually take an MP3 player? If your music files are also on your notebook, consider leaving the player at home.

And do you always carry big, over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones? Bose's QuietComfort 2, for example, weighs 6.9 ounces. Instead, make do with lightweight earbuds that help filter out background noise. I recommend Shure's E3c "sound isolating" earphones ($179), which weigh less than an ounce. The tiny earphones come with interchangeable sleeves to help you get the best fit.

Also, planning ahead can help reduce your load. Example: Are there power ports on your plane? Do you have more than an hour to kill between flights? If so, pack a power adapter in your notebook bag, as it could come in handy in either situation. But if the answer is "no" to both questions, then pack the notebook's adapter in your checked bag. You probably won't need it on your trip (unless your flight is delayed or cancelled), and that means less weight in your carry-on bag.

To check for power ports on your plane, go to SeatGuru.com.

Your Tips?

How do you lighten your load when traveling with gadgets? Share your secrets with me.

Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Notebook News: Intel Updates Centrino

The Intel Centrino platform for notebooks, which premiered nearly 2 years ago, is getting an upgrade. The enhanced platform includes improved Wi-Fi connectivity and security; PCI Express, which supports more powerful graphics cards and hard drives than does its predecessor, the PCI bus; DDR2 memory, which runs faster than DDR memory; and support for Dolby Digital and Dolby 7.1-channel surround sound.

The new Centrino platform can be found in the Dell Inspiron 6000 and Latitude D610, the Hewlett-Packard NX6120, and others. But check the specs closely, as Intel is allowing computer makers choices in the Centrino platform. Two wireless adapters are available in the platform, for instance, but only one supports 802.11a networking.

Notebook Accessory Review: A Portable TV Tuner

Weighing just 6 ounces, AVerMedia's $99 UltraTV USB 300 is a portable TV tuner designed to pump television programming into notebook PCs. The tuner is fairly simple to use and gets its power from the computer's USB port. But there's no remote control, and programs recorded at the 720 by 480 resolution were jerky when viewed at high-quality settings.

Notebook Accessory News: A Bag With Sidewall-Impact Protection

Targus's new HP Evolution Ultra Portable Leather Notebook Case ($80) is the first computer bag to feature a sidewall-impact system designed to protect a notebook's screen during travel, the company claims. The HP-branded bag, which weighs less than 3 pounds, is expected to be the first in a line of bags featuring the protection system, says Targus.

Wireless Software Review: AvantGo Optimized for Wireless Devices

The new version of AvantGo is a big improvement for the mobile content-delivery service, says PC World Senior Editor Yardena Arar. AvantGo now makes it easier to download articles and information on wireless PDAs and smart phones, such as a PalmOne Treo 650. You have more flexibility in getting content updates and managing channel subscriptions via a wireless connection. And the new, tabbed interface can be customized with fonts and color schemes. AvantGo is a free download, too (supported by ads).

Gadget Accessory News: IPod Charger/Transmitter

IPod fans take note: Now you can keep Apple's MP3 player charged while beaming tunes to your car's FM radio. Kensington's new FM Transmitter/Auto Charger ($60) plays and charges IPods using your wheels' FM radio and power port. The device offers "enhanced noise reduction and excellent stereo separation," the company claims.

Wireless News: BlackBerry Addicts, Are You Being Watched?

Some RIM BlackBerry users send and receive messages using a BlackBerry's personal identification number instead of an e-mail address. Why? PIN messages are believed to be private, as they're sent directly to another BlackBerry instead of traveling over an enterprise server, where they could be logged and archived. But a lawsuit filed in Toronto by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reveals that PIN messages sent by some bank employees had indeed been logged. Read more in "Is Your Boss Watching Your BlackBerry?"

Suggestion Box

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it.