The Proverbial Travel Computer Post

Posted: November 19th, 2009 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: gear | No Comments »

One of the big gear decisions I had to make leading up to my trip was choosing the best computer for my situation. Here are the categorical thoughts I took into consideration while researching the best travel notebook. My needs are likely not the same as yours, but it may help you to see what all I took into consideration.

So if you happen to be pondering the idea of dragging a computer with you everywhere you go, then read on you crazy diamond.

— Time

Will I be using the computer often enough to warrant the expense. For easy sake let’s average the daily internet rental cost down to $2/day. That should cover varying usage, availability, and a pretty decent price range. Plus it allows for those sad times where there is no free wifi. So my trip length should at least be long enough to warrant a decent percent of the computer price saved in internet usage fees. In my case, I could potentially save more than the price of the computer over the course of my trip by not having to rent computer usage time at internet cafes and the such.

— Geekery

A factor for me was whether said computer can actually do anything cooler than upload photos and send emails. If I literally just wanted a cheap and easy email machine then I could go with a low end netbook for like $200. Hell, I could even use my phone with wi-fi only just as easily in that case. However, I like to use my computer for various little projects, watching shows, playing games, etc. It’ my default tool for a lot of things. So I needed one that would do more than the netbook genre tends to be capable of. Plus I intend to manage this site while traveling.

— Operating System

Linux: It’s cool, but it’s too unfamiliar for me to mess with while traveling. Plus some programs I like may not work.

Windows: Yea. It runs everything and is easy and flexible.

Mac: I’m not familiar enough to think that a Mac can do everything I want it to do. They also seem too restrictive.

— Size & Weight

I drew the line at < 2 kg (about 5 lbs). There was plenty of choices under this weight and it felt like a reasonable limit. More than 2 kg and I don’t really want to haul it around the world anymore. The physical size wasn’t really an issue once I limited the weight. Although I wanted a screen larger than 10″ and ideally more like 12″. If you’re not good with weights and measurements, the other way to think of it is “will this laptop fit in my pants?”

— Ergonomics

The importance of the notebook keyboard is probably too often underestimated. I like to think that I can adapt to a smaller keyboard after prolonged use, but experience has told me that isn’t the case. I just type less and less as I become more annoyed. I was after as close to a 100% size keyboard as possible. I suppose I should learn to type properly too.

— Conclusion

I settled on the HP Pavilion dv2z as the perfect balance between netbook and legit notebook. It runs everything I have tried, and it fits in my pants. The keyboard is 92% of full size and easy to use. I’ve been using it at home for a few weeks now and I love it. I have Windows Vista on it currently, but I’ll upgrade to Windows 7 before I go because 7 is really quite nice. Here’s my nerd stats:

• AMD Turion(TM) Neo X2 Dual-Core L625 (1.6GHz, 1MB)
• 512MB ATI Radeon Graphics 3410
• 4GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• 12.1″ diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
• Webcam and microphone
• 802.11a/b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth
• 5-in-1 card reader
• 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Dimensions: 29 cm (11.50 in) L x 24 cm (9.45 in) D x 2.4 cm (0.93 in) H
• Weight: 1.7 kg (3.95 lbs)(with 6-cell battery)
• Espresso Black

Well, that’s how my notebook choice turned out. There’s a ton of choices out there, many of which are quite good. So the key is to honestly factor in how you will be using the notebook. If you don’t have a clear understanding of your own requirements and expectations then you’re going to have a bitch of a time making a purchase decision. Let me know if you ever have any questions.

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// shawn

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