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Choosing the Right Laptop

Should you lug a laptop around with you when you travel? Ultimately it is a decision you must make and it should be based on many factors including:

  • goals using technology
  • what will be available in the communities you pass through
  • your traveling style
Read here about the disadvantages and advantages of having one and some alternatives to taking a laptop with you, or continue below for specific recommendations.

Now that you’ve decided to take a laptop on your next adventure, you have to choose a laptop to purchase. There are many options available and they change almost monthly as technological innovations rapidly progress ahead.

It’s hard to recommend a specific laptop since my recommendation would be outdated after several months so I’ll date my recommendations and try to keep them up current.

The way I figure it, if you’ve come to this page you are, well, umh, ‘technologically challenged’. Consequently the discussion which follows will not go into any discussions that require any more than a basic knowledge of computers. Furthermore I will not suggest any computer or device that takes any more than minimal technical knowledge. There are a lot of alternatives that would suit travelers very well but they take a fair amount of technical knowledge. If you are interested in these alternatives this is not the article for you.

Before you even start shopping for a laptop, consider what your goals are as they relate to technology. Read this article for some ideas of what you can accomplish with technology. Here is a list of tasks that you should consider:

  1. Will I be doing video editing and, if so, what quality? (see this article for more on this).
  2. Where will I store and backup all pictures, video, etc. (see this article for some ideas) and will I need a DVD/CD drive?
  3. What kind of conditions will I be in (wet, bumpy, etc.)
There are three terms you may need to know in order to make an intelligent decision on which laptop to purchase:
  1. Solid State Drives (SSD)
  2. CD/DVD drives
  3. Linux

OK, so now you know what you are going to use the computer for and we’re ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of actually choosing a computer. Choose the category that fits your needs and I’ll present a few recommendations.

My needs are simple. I need a computer for email and storing the pictures from my camera. I may want to do some light duty video editing. I don’t care if the screen and keyboard are small, I just want the smallest, lightest, and cheapest laptop that will stand up to rigorous conditions I will be traveling in.

My needs are somewhat simple. I need a computer for email and storing pictures from my camera, but would like to burn the pictures on a CD or DVD to send back home. I don’t care if the screen and keyboard are small, I just want the smallest, lightest, and cheapest laptop that will stand up to rigorous conditions I will be traveling in.

My needs are somewhat simple. I need a computer for email and storing pictures from my computer, and would also like to burn the pictures on a CD or DVD to send back home. I don’t want a tiny screen or keyboard and am willing to pay a bit more in terms of cost and weight for this.

    As of June, 2009 my recommendations would be a Sony VAIO

My needs are ambitious. In addition to email and storing pictures, I want to do extensive photo editing and create some good quality movies. I would also like a CD/DVD drive. I don’t care if the screen and keyboard are small, I just want the smallest, lightest, and cheapest laptop that will stand up to rigorous conditions I will be traveling in.

My needs are ambitious. In addition to email and storing pictures, I want to do extensive photo editing and create some good quality movies. I would also like a CD/DVD drive. I don’t want a tiny screen or keyboard and am willing to pay a little bit more in terms of cost and weight for this.

As of June 2009, I recommend a Sony VAIO

I want the best. I need a computer that will do email and store all my photos. I will also produce quality videos. I will be traveling in deplorable conditions (bumpy roads, rain, heat, etc.) and I need something that will stand up under these brutal conditions. Durability and reliability take precedence over cost, weight, and size as long as they are within reason.

Tips: Here are some other things to think about when purchasing a computer:

  • Linux is a great operating system, but I've met three travelers that couldn't get WiFi to work correctly using this system.
  • Make sure the ports (eg. SDHC, USB, etc.) on your computer support what you are doing
  • If you are using the computer for homeschooling, you'll probably want a larger screen (12" or bigger), not the small (8.9") screens that come with the ultrasmall computers.
  • If you are traveling to a country that uses 220V, be sure you get a transformer that can be plugged into both 220V and 110V.
  • Consider bringing a USB mouse if you are doing any intricate work. I depend on mine when video/photo editing or building web pages.
When staying at budget hotels in third world countries, keep your valuables away from windows. We were staying in a hotel off the coast of Honduras when someone attempted to rip off our Austrailian neighbors while they were sleeping. The thieves meticulously took off the glass shutters on the window, removed part of the screen, and reached into the room in hopes of finding some booty. Fortunately they couldn't find any.
Since I create my website with HTML and NotePad I spend more than 90% of my computer time off-line. Unless we have free WiFi, this saves a lot of money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did a lot of research into what computer would best fit our needs for my trip and found out that the computer I wanted wouldn’t be on the market until several months into our trip. So I brought along an old, heavy behemoth of a laptop that weighed 7 or 8 pounds and waited to order the new computer while on the road when it became available. That’s why we’re carrying two computers now, I just couldn’t depart with the old computer after we got the new one! I love the new computer, but after 8 months it's already outdated.