Dear Mike, I've got a number of suggestions for you (and others who contemplate traveling with their laptops).
*** I loved having my Pismo when overseas. However, I would recommend the "iceBook" (the post-clamshell iBook, 12" screen) for a number of reasons. (1) It's lightweight, and therefore easier to carry around with you. (2) It has a smaller screen and longer life battery [which matters if you want to use it on long flights. Yes, the Pismo offers the potential of dual batteries, but you end up with about the same life out of them as the single iBook. Oh how I wished I had a smaller screen on that airplane, I was literally UNABLE to open or use my Pismo on the table-tray because the seats were so close together (and because I have a bit of a paunch). I would have been unable to watch a DVD even if I'd brought one with me. (3) The headphone jack is on the side of the iBook, which matters most if you want to listen to music or watch a DVD in-flight (most headphone cords are a bit short to reach all the way around to ports in the back). It is convenient in any event. (4) The iceBook has additional cushioning for the hard drive and is more rugged than the Pismo. (5) It looks cooler. (6) It will have a higher resale value, and might even make you a profit if you sell it abroad, depending on where you visit. *** Buy a second battery to give you more time on that long flight from Australia. Or find out if the airplane you're going to fly on offers power ports in the passenger seats, and then find out the type of port, and then buy a power adaptor cord before you go. *** Remember that other countries use a different region-encoding for their DVDs. Your laptop, if equipped with a DVD player, will be able to switch region-decoding only four or five times (depending on how you count). This is a limit that is built-in to your drive firmware and cannot be re-set without voiding your warranty. It's not a problem if you are only going to travel abroad once: you can switch out and back again. However, don't plan to bring any foreign DVDs back with you, nor selling any DVDs you might take out of Australia. *** Traveling does not exempt you from needing to back up your data. You should get a portable, bootable external hard drive and do a complete backup onto it, then pack it in your checked luggage. Try to find one that does not require external power, or has universal power input. Do try to keep your backup "offsite" from your computer, which means when you settle down abroad, keep the backup in the hotel safe, or at a friends house, or at work... just not in the same place as the laptop: they'll be stolen together! And then... back up your whole system on a weekly basis. Since it's highly likely that your laptop will be stolen, you will be glad you backed up. *** On the issue of security: buy yourself a security cable for the laptop, combination style if possible. These do not deter the hardcore thief, but will stop casual theft. I routinely run the security cable through the sink plumbing in the hotel bathroom, just so the housekeeping staff and other persons are not tempted to steal my laptop while I'm out and about. I wouldn't bother with the alarmed style of security cable, since that may just cause you more grief at airports, etc. *** You say you want to do internet abroad? Do some research before you go. Find out, if you can, how the telephone system works at your destination (i.e., is there such a thing as a free call, or nationwide local numbers, etc. In some countries, local calls are NOT free, and you'll still end up paying 3-5 cents per minute. This is why internet cafes are becoming so popular in some places. *** Try to find an ISP before you go. If you were from the USA and had AOL or Earthlink, for example, they can provide international access numbers (at additional charge). Or, go online and search the net. Preferably, go into some chatrooms where folks from your destination country hang out, and see what they recommend. When I was planning a trip to Britain, I did this, and got a recommendation for a Dutch/British ISP (Demon Internet). I looked up their info online and gave them a call. In 9 minutes, they set me up with a username, fixed IP address, domain name, password, SMTP server info, WebServer info, NNTP server info, DNS addresses, local dialing numbers, and monthly billing to my credit card. They even gave me an international access number so that I could verify twenty minutes later that the account was up an running, well in advance of my departure. All for close to the same price as similar services in the USA. (I was very impressed with them!) *** When you arrive (or even before you go, via IRC or other chat systems), find out from locals abroad about making domestic and long distance calls from that country. It may be cheapest for you to use a phone card to call back home for pennies per minute and use the internet provider you've already got! Beware, though, that line-noise may be so bad that you won't get more than 9600 baud! *** Speaking of phones.... Beware that some countries, such as the UK, do not use the same sort of modular telephone jacks that we use in the USA. I have no idea what you've got in Australia. Furthermore, whereas standard home phones in the USA use the inner pair of wires (of the four wires in standard phone cabling), some countries such as the UK use the outer pair. Took me a while to figure that one out, when my modem couldn't find a dial tone! Be prepared, and take with you a small pocket knife (not in your carry-on luggage!), a couple short telephone line cords (4' or 6' will do) and a bit of electrical tape. Be ready to buy a phone cord at a discount store abroad that has the proper jack on it, and splice it into one of the cords you brought with you that plugs into your laptop. Expect that you may have to swap the inner/outer pair of wires as well. Yes, you can find adaptor gizmos that will do all this for you, but the one I bought actually didn't do the wire-switching that was needed! Just be cognizant of the possibilities. *** Speaking of plug adaptors.... Find out what kind of adaptor you will need to plug your laptop power cable in to the household-voltage line power abroad. You can get adaptors that will fit every country in the world, but it's nicer to get a simple little one that does just the job you want. Happy and safe travels!! --Jim. On Wednesday, December 18, 2002, at 01:46 AM, (G-Books) wrote: > From: Mike Barnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: G3 'books for travelling > > My partner is going overseas for a bit next year, and wants to take a > laptop. I'm shopping around for an older G3 Powerbook or iBook that > I'll > be selling off after we're done with it. I've got no problems finding > prices and performance specs, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has > carried one around for a bit. -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
