Mobile Computing Tips: Choosing a Computer Travel Bag
Traveling light? Traveling heavy? Do it with style and without back strain.James A. Martin
Feature: Choosing a Computer Bag--and What to Pack in It
Two years ago, a flight on which I was booked was cancelled. With time to kill in the Pittsburgh airport, I wandered into a luggage shop and felt oddly attracted to a wheeled notebook bag. I didn't recognize the manufacturer, nor did I pay much attention to the quality. Frankly, I just liked the way the bag looked, my shoulders were aching from my computer backpack, and I was bored. So I bought it.
Two broken zippers, two wobbly wheels, and one strip of torn nylon later, I've dealt with my buyer's remorse, and I'm back on the computer bag market again. This time, though, I decided to do my homework first. For advice, I called Peter Cobb, cofounder of EBags, a favorite online retailer that sells nothing but bags--luggage, backpacks, briefcases, and so on. Here are Cobb's picks among EBags' best-selling or most noteworthy computer bags, followed by my suggestions for accessories to pack. (If you don't like his recommendations, fear not: EBags is consumer friendly. The site offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and pays return shipping costs, but charges a $5 restocking fee per item.)
What to Buy
Trager Cross Country Laptop Brief. Nearly half of EBags employees use this versatile, convenient bag, and it's Cobb's personal favorite, too. The bag can be worn as a backpack or carried as a briefcase, includes a removable padded computer pocket with a handle, and has an easily accessible mobile phone pocket as well as zippered compartments for sunglasses, airline tickets, and more, Cobb says. Made of ballistic nylon, the bag retails for $140.
American Tourister Triple Gusset Wheeled Computer Case. At $50, Cobb calls this rugged bag on wheels a "screaming deal." And like the Trager Brief, it's one of EBags' most consistently popular computer cases, he says. You can store lots of paperwork in its filing compartment; the pockets are conveniently located; and the middle pocket is nicely padded for notebook protection.
Ellington Navigator Business Case. With its top-grain cowhide leather, this is the classic briefcase/notebook case for those who appreciate the law-firm look, says Cobb. Aside from its high-tone appeal, the bag features a large padded notebook sleeve and easy-access pockets for keys, PDAs, and such. As always with quality leather goods, though, the price ain't cheap: $256.
What to Pack
The bigger the computer case, the more you're likely to stuff in it. Nonetheless, there are core accessories you should strongly consider packing in your notebook bag. Below are some of the essentials I carry regularly.
A retractable phone cord. Even in this day and age, I usually must rely on a dial-up connection to get online when I travel. Targus's Retractable Phone Cord ($10) packs an eight-foot-long reel of RJ-11 phone cord into a convenient container not much bigger than a notebook PC Card.
Notebook power adapter. Because notebook power adapters can be bulky, I used to pack them in my checked suitcase. Now that many airport waiting areas and some airline cabin seats offer power outlets, though, I pack my notebook power adapter in my carry-on computer bag, just in case.
A DVD/CD-RW drive and blank discs. When traveling with a notebook, I used to carry a floppy drive for backup as well as a CD-ROM drive, in case I needed to install CD-based software. Now I leave the floppy drive at home and pack only a DVD/CD-RW drive and a few blank discs for backup. Aside from offering significantly greater capacity than floppies, CD-Rs are a convenient way to transfer files to other computers. For instance, during a recent family visit to North Carolina, I needed to print several large documents. I tried e-mailing them to my sister so she could print them for me, but her Internet service provider choked on them. So I burned the documents onto a disc, took it to her house, inserted the disc into her computer, and printed.
Major application CDs. I travel with the CDs for Windows and Microsoft Office that came with my computer, in case I have to reinstall key applications after a meltdown.
DVD movies. For those times during a long plane trip when I'm too exhausted (or disinterested) to work, I pack a couple of rental discs from Netflix, as well as a pair of earphones. Read more about this terrific Web-based DVD rental service in an earlier newsletter, "Mobile Computing Tips: Watch DVDs in Flight."
A nutrition bar. Sometimes airline food is inedible; other times, it's nonexistent. Either way, it helps to have on hand a backup of a different kind: a nutrition bar. My two favorites are Clif Bars: Carrot Cake and Cookies 'n Cream (about $1.50 to $2 each).
Notebooks
Tip: Know What You Can--and Can't--Carry on a Plane
Now that you've read my suggestions for notebook accessories to pack, check out the Transportation Security Administration's detailed lists of what you can and cannot take into the airline cabin.
News: Kensington's Tiny Hub
Kensington's compact, portable PocketHub is designed to let you connect up to four USB devices to one available USB port on your notebook, the company says. The PocketHub requires no power of its own and sips lightly on your notebook battery's juice. Using the PocketHub, it's now possible to pull down the seatback tray on your next flight and connect a printer, scanner, digital camera, and Palm OS device to your notebook, all at once. The person seated next to you will be charmed, I promise.
The PocketHub has an estimated retail price of $50 but sells for less online. You can find the best prices at PC World's Product Finder.
Review: Sharp's Sleek Ultraportable
At $1799 (including an external CD-ROM drive), the Sharp PC-UM20 offers a nice price for an ultraportable notebook. Thin and light, the notebook performed well in our speed tests and is geared for those who want a lean, mean traveling machine. The notebook lacks legacy ports and can't be upgraded, however.
Check our Product Finder for the latest prices.
Handhelds
First Look: Color Treo PDAs
Handspring recently introduced two new additions to its Treo Palm OS-based line of handheld devices. The Treo 270 ($499) combines PDA, mobile phone, and wireless Internet access in a package not much bigger than its monochrome ancestor, the Treo 180. (After price reductions, the Treo 180 now sells for about $400.) The new Treo 90 ($299) is a PDA-only device. It's slimmer and lighter than the new 270 and forgoes the Handspring expansion slot in favor of combination Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard slots.
Both Treos offer compelling features, but their passive-matrix screens wash out in bright sunlight--a bummer when you're trying to work at the beach. For details on the new Treos, read "First Look at Color Treo PDAs."
News: Wear a Palm on Your Wrist
I'll skip the Dick Tracy jokes and get right to it: Fossil, known for its retro-style watches, now offers the futuristic Wrist PDA-FX2001 ($145). The watch syncs with Palm OS devices via an infrared link so you can wear your contact info, to-do list, appointments, and other data. The information is read-only, so there will be no Graffiti input on your wrist, which is a good thing.
News: Putting on a Show With a Palm
Hitting the road with a PowerPoint presentation? Leave the notebook at home and take the Palm instead. Margi Systems' new Presenter-to-Go SD Card for Palm handhelds with expansion slots lets you plug your Palm into a projector and display PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and other documents, the company claims. The $200 product includes a remote control. Presenter-to-Go SD Card joins Margi Systems' CompactFlash, PC Card, and Springboard (the original) versions of Presenter-to-Go.
The price is down $100 since we looked at the Presenter-to-Go Springboard Module about eight months ago.
Wireless
News: Service Provides Remote Access to PC Files
LoudPC provides real-time access to files and e-mail messages, as well as calendar and contact information, stored on your Internet-connected computer from a Web-enabled phone, wireless PDA, or other computer, according to Loudfire, the company offering the new service. Once you've installed the LoudPC utility on your desktop or notebook computer, you can use a browser on a Web phone, wireless PDA, or another computer to, say, read the e-mails delivered to your main computer's Microsoft Outlook in-box.
The service costs $60 a year for one license; you can download a free trial and get more information at the LoudPC site.
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