Topic. I'm going to Japan for 2 weeks and I'm considering buying a cheap 14" or even smaller notebook laptop, mostly just so I can have shit to do on the plane. Have (you) found a need for a computer in your travels, or have you been able to do anything you needed on your smartphone?
I take a shitty entry level iPad in case something goes wrong, and it takes up very little space. I wouldn't bother with a laptop.
same. i'm no apple fanboy but i love my ipad. i take it everywhere. brilliant device.
on work trips i have to take my normal laptop, of course.
I went with a fancy convertible laptop with a 360 degree hinge, but this is the way to go if you're just looking for onboard entertainment. The laptop only starts making sense if you do shit that needs proper "full sized" software like the aforementioned photo editing.
I travel with work so yeah I take it all the time. I just have my PC bitlockered with a preboot keypass. good luck getting through that without exact toolsets and a bunch of time, most robbers would just wipe and reload it. Most I've ever had happen was someone ask me to power on my laptop to make sure it wasn't a drug container.
If you don't need much just grab a chromebook that's easy wipe+reload and sub 400 dollars. Having 18hrs of battery is kinda nice
Yeah to edit photos, smartphone versions of RAW editors are trash
I travel with a laptop about 75% of the time, either because I might have work to do (although this is not something I’m proud of), or because I sometimes use it for other non-work purposes (I attend weekly cult meetings via Zoom, which works better on my laptop than my phone). I also theoretically blog or write or record/edit music on the computer; although I may or may not get around to these on the road, I do like having the option.
With a small, cheap, laptop, it’s no more hassle than anything else in a carry-on bag, and I don’t lose much if it dies or gets stolen.
I have a little robust cheap laptop intended for students. It does what it needs to do and I wont cry about it if it breaks or gets stolen.
I only ever take it on work trips. I do sometimes bring a backup phone and an e-book reader, but both of those are much smaller compared to a laptop. I would never ever edit photos while on the road, I'm not an influencer, so it can wait till I'm home
Everything is on a smartphone nowadays.
I've been bringing my thinkpad with me but even that is a fricking pain to lug around because of the charger + having to constantly take it out and put it back in my bag for security.
Just bring an older phone as backup + a powerbank and you'll be fine.
My 14" Lenovo slips neatly into my backpack, though sometimes it does dig into my back when carrying it for long distances. If you like to read, study a map in detail, do a lot of writing, like to watch movies, etc. it is great to bring a laptop along. Choosing the best of 1000 different hotel options is so much easier on a laptop than on a phone, due to the bigger screen. Plus, many hotel rooms in SEA have desks...even $13/night budget rooms often have a desk with a chair. Having a vertical screen is so much better for viewing than one which lays flat or has to be held in your hand the whole time you are using it.
Takes all of five seconds to pull it out of a bag, kek.
>Takes all of five seconds to pull it out of a bag
I need those 5 seconds to scroll through muh feedz while I wait for my flight to board.
I'm self-employed and work remotely, so I don't have much of a choice.
But, if I could avoid it, I'd leave most of my electronics at home. I took a five-month trip in 2014 with nothing other than my clothes, a tent, and a low-cost digital camera. It was a great time--I made a lot of friends, hitchhiked, and spent pretty much every day outside.
You could just buy a computer for cheap in Japan, tax-free. It'll be better than buying one where you live.
I really am considering this, just to have a laptop with japanese keys, but it's a little bit moronic when I can just buy the decals myself and apply them at home. "I want a Japanese computer" is a thought that'll just get me laughed at. I'm also worried I'll fall down an autism rabbit hole and spend 3 days cooped up in my hotel room changing settings like every time I buy a new computer or reinstall the OS on one. Plus, like I said, I mostly just want something to do on the plane.
>mostly just so I can have shit to do on the plane
Why bother? You're not going to game on it, unless you're playing OpenTTD or other low GPU game.
I'd take a handheld or an iPad
It's good for reading visual novels in flight though, that's part of the reason I always bring one