what are you views on this?is it a good idea?what are the advantages/disadvantages?
Hey!
Im planning on travelling south america in September. Alot of my friends that have recently been travelling around south east asia have brought small and light laptops to take with them. for evening entertainment and because so many places have wireless connections.
The main reason for me thinking about wanting to take a laptop is because my friends have said when theyve used internet cafes computers to upload their photos onto the blogs and emails etc they got viruses on their memory cards and couldnt take pictures or their cameras got wiped..which as a photographer is something i reeeally wouldnt want happening!
But obviously there are disadvantages, your at a higher risk of theft, plus extra things to carry...
Just wondered what everyones opinion on the subject is? im really undecided... x
Reply to this Last few years I took Laptop with me everywhere.It was such a hassle so this year I left it behind.I will never carry it again
Reply to this We haven't taken a laptop travelling before but have used internet cafes throughout South America and never had any issues with photos being wiped or getting viruses. If you're careful this shouldn't happen. The only complaint I'd have with internet cafes is you never know how fast the internet connection is going to be - and we had a combination of fast ones and really slow ones.
Reply to this Depends how long you'd be away. If I'm away for just a week or two, I can part with my laptop. Beyond that, I'd take my "pet" with me.
Reply to this personally, i dont like to tap it, because then i feel like i am forced to use it since i made the effort to bring it.
Reply to this hello friend i m new in this forum site i love to travel and i do not travel without my laptop because i m online 18 hour chat game etc...
Reply to this if the laptop is going to save your fotos from a virus then its worth it, since you can pick up a netbook now for pretty cheap.
3 of my SD cards were corrupted in south america due to virus through a USB stick. but thankfully i got them back with a program called "recuva"
there is little chance of it being stolen if you confine its usage to inside hostels etc. and lock it away when not in use. i would not feel right using it out in public areas in south america.. i dont recommend that.
do not use the laptop as a storage device. i recommend you upload all the most important photos on the internet ASAP so if it does go missing at least you will breathe a sigh of relief for your photos!
and dont store any passwords on it
one benefit for me is that it can take the place of an Ipod or MP3 player which can even cost more then the laptop. and it has many more uses. you can pick up a cheap 1GB mp3 for use in public and use the laptop to organize the music.
i use mine with a external disc drive so that i can buy CDs on the road and have a local soundtrack to my memories... thats important to me but not to everyone i suppose.
if you like to use skype then its useful for that too because though internet cafes are plenty, normally only a couple of computers is skype enabled and if its a busy tourist area those computers will often be hogged.
i wouldnt carry anything bigger than a netbook the full size ones are like carrying a lump of lead
Reply to this Also I prefer to bring laptop when travelling because it's a big help for me on uploading, photo sharing, and searching for my road trip. Anyways there's some disadvantages but every disadvantages can convert to advantage. Like if you are afraid to bring gadgets, all you need to do is to be alert and be a traveller, not a tourist because many thieves target tourist that is asking for directions.
· Reply to this it depends on how long my vacation will be..for shorter vacations i prefer to just leave it behind and upload pictures later..
and usually i go on a vacation to unwind and forget the stress of work and city life, so bringing my laptop would not be a good idea
Reply to this I gave up my laptop about a year ago when the "notebooks" came out. The one I purchased has been around the world with me, primarily on cruises, and it works quire well. The one I purchased has a relatively large hard drive thus it can accommodate many photos. It does not have a DVD reader and if I think I will need a DVD reader I have to take along an external DVD drive which I also purchased. The great thing about the "notebook" is the size and the weight. Both small. It is also easy to check through security at the airports. Suggest you look for one that has a hard drive and no a built in memory card or chip.
Reply to this If people are only interested in backing up photos during your trip, we can recommend a "photo bank" which is a battery powered portable hard drive with built in card readers. They do not need to be plugged in to a computer to copy the contents of a memory card so you don't need to worry about getting viruses from internet cafes. They can also be picked up cheaply from ebay etc, and provide some piece of mind.
We have used a photo bank as our primary photo backup (and still do!) for 2 years now, and they certainly get you out of a pinch if you find yourself with only full memory cards!
Reply to this I think it mainly depends on where you are going and how long you are going for, my only worry with taking a laptop with me is having it stolen.
Reply to this I travelled for four months and did think a laptop would have been nic eand handy but Iwould always be worried about it at the back of my mind. TBH internet cafes are so cheap in most locations that I think its best to leave it at home. You can upload photos in bulk to save time.
I now have an Ipod touch which connects to wifi. I would love to have had this with me so i could book places in advance or do whatever wherever there was a connection
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