Traveling Without a Laptop – Day 1

TechDadCentral is embarking on a challenge: can I go on a 4- day business trip without my laptop? Namely, can my iPad2, complemented, by some keystone new technology, fulfill all of the tech needs where I traditionally use my laptop? Will I make it home smiling or will I be stymied by a lack of technology?

So here I go:

Immediate Benefits

I am presently on a flight to the west coast and the first item of note was getting through airport security. The iPad stayed safely in my travel bag where I am used to having to remove my laptop and put it through the scanner in its own bin. Next is the lightness of my bag. I use a 15″ Mac Book Pro. It is not an overly heavy laptop but when you add on the charger it can ear down your shoulder. I just changed planes at JFK and set a new  record for the longest walk between gates. Right now, I am digging traveling with the iPad. 

Next up is battery life. My laptop, best case, gives me three hours of charge. I’ve already played three hours of non-stop Drop 7 on my iPad and have decided to take a break and write this review. I still have 89% of my battery remaining. 

First add-on: Seagate GoFlex Satellite Media Drive

When I travel cross-country, I usually take a bunch of movies along to break up a long leg. Of course, i could fit a few on my iPad but I decided to try something different – loading a large part of my video library on the new SeaGate GoFlex Satellite media drive. The GoFlex is essentially a big USB drive with a built in WiFi hotspot. You charge it up and load it with movies via a USB cable too your laptop before you leave. On the road, you fire up the ho spot, connect you iPad to it and then start streaming movies or videos. It can also act as a large external hard drive to your iPad if you are tight on RAM and need to work on a big project. I’m also going to use it to back up my work while on the road. I’m working on a a couple of big presentations for a conference and want to keep copies everything in progress. We will see how the GoFlex hold out in terms of battery life.

Specs: it contains 500 GB of storage space and I can charge it using the same tiny USB wall plug that I have brought along for my iPad. Battery life: up to 5 hours of streaming. Wireless range: up to 150 feet. Stream to three separate devices simultaneously. Access is via either the free app or a standard web browser.

So far, so good … I’m an hour into “The 39 Steps” (a Hitchcock classic) and still going strong. Since it is a shareable wireless hotspot, I could offer up connection to my fellow passengers and let them view as well. How much do you think I should charge them for a full-length feature film. 

Seriously though, instead of buying an installed video system in your minivan for the kids in the back seat only to have them argue over which video to watch, give each of them an inexpensive, refurbished first-generation iPad linked to the GoFlex and everyone can watch a different video!

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Ron Remy