Laptop vs. Mini

I left my Dell Inspiron 1525 (no longer available) with a friend while traveling around Vietnam in December. At over seven pounds, it would have been a burden to carry with me in my backpack while I trapsed all over the country. Besides, I was afraid it might get stolen on the road if I left it in a hotel room or on a bus luggage rack.

I traveled for a month without it, using internet cafes at each stop instead. I definitely missed the convenience of having my own computer with my own internet bookmarks & settings, all of my documents & photos. Because I was traveling for so long (& being the shutterbug that I am), I had to buy a second memory card for my camera because I quickly ran out of room on the first one. If I had had my laptop with me, I could have downloaded photos daily, it would have been easier to update my blog, & I would have been able to keep better contact with friends & family on Skype.

A mini laptop would be much better for long-term travel. At just over two pounds, it would be much lighter & easier to carry, & the smaller size would make it less noticeable to potential thieves. Many of the minis offer 160GB or larger hard drives, integrated webcams, & wireless capabilities.

The downside:
1. The keyboard is smaller than a standard keyboard, so for daily typing tasks, it might be hard to deal with.
2. It doesn't have a built-in DVD drive, though you can buy an extrenal drive if you want it.

By the time I'm ready to buy my next computer, maybe they'll have it all worked out.