Laptops, tablets and phones for travelling

How do you optimize you laptops, tablets and phones for travelling? If you are going to be in a job that requires significant travel, your need to take care with your choice of laptop. For a few extra dollars (which will be easily justified) you may chose something more suitable for travelling with.

Some tips for choosing a laptop that travels well and for traveling well with one:

The standard laptop weighs around 3.5kg. This may not seem much if you pick it up and put it down again but try lugging it around the world. Remember there will always be a battery pack, cords for on the ground, attachments for cords for in the air and other accessories which also add up in terms of the weight you are carrying. Investing in a small and lightweight option will address this.
The large screen laptops look good but they are difficult to open fully on some fold down trays (especially in economy). There will be a trade off between keyboard size and screen size so in looking for a laptop, type a few paragraphs to see how it feels and looks. Investing in a small lightweight laptop may be worth it. By using it for a few weeks, you will get used to the size of the keyboard.
If you travel a lot on long distance trips or you have specific non mainstream tastes, you may want to download some movies for the flight from your google play or itunes account. Be aware that watching these movies in flight will take significant power from your battery. Make sure you have a power lead compatible with the airlines power source, a battery with sufficient power time and/or a spare battery.
When using a laptop on the plane, put it on the fold-down tray. This will optimize ventilation and ensure that it does not overheat (using your PC on your lap will not be ideal)
If you like to listen to music other than the mainstream options offered by the airlines, the best option is to download your favorites to your laptop, phone or other MP3 player. Again, you need to ensure you have sufficient battery time, a spare or a power lead that is compatible with the airlines power source.
With respect to what you carry your equipment in, make sure your carry-on has the correct padding to take a laptop to ensure its physical safety.
With respect to security, make sure you laptop is effectively password protected. Click here to learn more about “security”
Remember that when going through airport security checkpoints, in most countries you will be asked to take your laptop and phone out of the bag to be put through the system separately. You may also be asked to turn it on and perhaps even to dismantle it and reassemble it for security reasons