Mobility in the Information Age
I’ve had quite a number of people ask me how I manage to stay connected, despite my ostensible addiction to traveling. I am, for example, writing this particular article as I sit in the strikingly rustic lobby of a Marriott resort near Austin. Just 15 years ago, what I’m doing today wouldn’t have been possible. Of course, technology has changed dramatically since then, and it is now possible to remain attached to the real world from any place you might decide to roam.
If you’re a serious traveler, then it’s a good idea to own a seriously mobile laptop computer. Japanese imports, especially those svelte gadgets offered by companies like Dynamism, are usually the best suited for this purpose. My personal laptop is an ultralight Sony TX series, which weighs in at well under three pounds and follows me almost everywhere I go. It comes with the added benefit of having a ten hour battery life, making it especially useful in the car, on a plane, or anywhere else an electrical connection might not be available.
But what good is a mobile computer without an Internet connection? Despite the fact that almost any laptop built today is going to have support for 802.11b/g/n (i.e., Wi-Fi) connectivity, there isn’t a Starbucks on every street corner just yet, and public networks are still relatively scarce in rural areas. As a result, a large number of wireless providers are now offering mobile broadband cards that can be used in conjunction with your laptop computer. An unlimited access plan usually runs about $50 per month, and provides you with near-broadband connectivity. There is one caveat: Latency, sometimes over 500 ms, will prevent you from playing certain video games or using services (SSH, for example) that mandate a low-latency connection.
In addition to my laptop computer, I also carry a Palm Treo smartphone, which allows me to accept calls and read new e-mail while I’m on the road. In addition, my bundled data plan offers unlimited Internet connectivity, which I sometimes use to check my favorite Web sites. The Treo can also be used as a wireless modem (see PdaNet) with some carriers, removing the need altogether for a mobile broadband card. It should be noted that this gadget still has a number of show stopping problems, however, and should not be depended on as a universally reliable device.
The availability of this technology might prompt you with one final question. Do you want the real world to follow you on your travels? While some people — myself included, apparently — don’t seem to mind it, others still do. If you think that you might be one of those people, then it could be best to simply disconnect and enjoy life.
March 16th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Personally, I am of the camp that accessing information while traveling is a good thing (especially with people curious as to one’s whereabouts while on the road). While I don’t have a SmartPhone, my laptop with a wireless connection is generally enough, since most hotels have free wireless in them, and if you’re not staying at one of said hotels, you can usually sit outside and steal wireless from another hotel. Personally, I think that a smartphone is a better solution if one is on the beaten path (and if one is off of the beaten path, they usually don’t want to be contacted anyhow!)
Love the insight, as always.
March 18th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Another great import company is Kemplar (www.kemplar.com). One of the nice aspects of their site is that the displayed price is exactly what you pay. It already includes all fees, taxes, and shipping costs. As a result, they appear more expensive than some other places, but in the end they tend to be less expensive. When I got my Panasonic R4 two years ago, Kemplar’s display price was a good $150 more, but with shipping at Dynamism, the total would have been $50 more than at Kemplar ($200 difference between what they displayed and what they would end up charging).
As for getting online, I go the tethering route and connect my Samsung Blackjack via USB to make use of the 3G connection. It makes for a great traveling combo since both my laptop and phone are very small, but my one complaint is that the Blackjack guzzles the laptop’s battery when tethered (the laptop effectively recharges the phone while connected) which cuts down a lot on usable time when making extensive use of the 3G connection.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
[...] advent of wireless fidelity, mobile access cards, and even mobile Web browsers, it’s easy to stay connected. In 2017, perhaps we will witness a resurgence of mesh networks in the form of municipal wireless [...]
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