Last week, I recapped some useful lessons learned from 2006, regarding safe notebook battery care, the need to be prepared to check your laptop when you fly, and the fact that switching to VoIP service can be painless.
This week I'll share three more lessons that I learned during 2006.
An iPod Can Be Much More Than a Media Player
Most of us consider iPods only as easy-to-use, sleek, and attractive portable media players. But thanks to a slew of add-ons and software, an iPod can do all sorts of cool things, including act as a tour guide, read your e-mail, and even help you mix a drink.
For example, with the right microphone accessory, an 5GB iPod can record in stereo. Recently, I tested add-ons for video-capable iPods: Xtreme Mac's MicroMemo ($60) and Belkin's TuneTalk Stereo ($70). Both are good choices for recording meetings, voice memos, and basic podcasts. Unlike the MicroMemo, the TuneTalk lets you add an external 3.5mm stereo microphone and features real-time adjustable gain to compensate for changing noise levels. Still, MicroMemo recordings sounded just a tad clearer in my informal tests.
And here's another example: MojoPac software lets you store your Windows XP computer's profile on an iPod.
Newer Isn't Necessarily Better
When the first generation of Ultra Mobile PCs came out in 2006, they were met with tepid-to-downright hostile reviews. The devices were too expensive, among other shortcomings, to be viable notebook alternatives, critics complained.
So what do you do if you want a notebook alternative that's easy-to-use, inexpensive, lightweight, and with long battery life? The answer, according to many newsletter readers, is a Microsoft Windows CE-based subnotebook.
First appearing in the late nineties and virtually extinct by 2003, Windows CE portables combined the simplicity of a PDA operating system with the form factor of an ultraportable PC. Though more limited than a full-blown Windows computer--Windows CE devices lack optical drives, for instance--they are ideal for basic word processing and spreadsheet tasks. And armed with a network card, a Windows CE portable lets you send and receive e-mail and enables you to surf the Internet (albeit slowly).
Intrigued, I bought three discontinued Windows CE laptops on eBay, ranging in price from about $100 to just shy of $200. My favorite is the IBM WorkPad z50, because of its nearly full-size keyboard.
In short: No other class of products to date has made it so easy to perform basic computing tasks without the need for an expensive or heavy laptop.
Check out my reviews of Windows CE devices as notebook alternatives:
An Airplane Seat Can Quickly Become a Hot Seat
In a crowded airplane coach cabin, who has the right of the way--the guy who wants to fully recline his seat, or the worker bee behind him who needs to use her laptop but can't because of the reclined seat?
In an article on gadget etiquette, I suggested two possible resolutions to this problem. One, if you're the recliner, warn the person behind you before you kick back. Two, if you're behind a recliner, ask him politely to adjust his seat up slightly so you can use your notebook more comfortably.
Suggestion number two elicited heated responses from several readers. "You have to be kidding about asking someone to move their reclined seat up," one frequent business traveler wrote me. "I pay for my seat and should be able to recline. That is technically my space."
Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran an insightful story headlined "Recliners vs. Uprights: Tighter Seating Puts Passengers at Odds" (available online to WSJ subscribers). In the article, the WSJ's Scott McCartney explained that most U.S. airlines allow seats to recline as much as six inches--even though the space between rows has shrunk. Add to this the fact that fewer planes are flying these days--resulting in fewer empty seats--and it's no wonder there's tension in the air.
Some airlines are now taking action to reduce the conflict between recliners and uprights, McCartney reported. For example, Southwest Airlines is standardizing seat recline at three inches. By comparison, Continental Airlines coach seats have the steepest recline, at five to six inches, while United coach seats recline up to five inches.
My lesson learned? Always be considerate of the other traveler's need, whether you're the recliner or the upright. But don't be surprised if the other person wants to argue about it.
What Have You Learned?
What useful lessons have you learned while traveling with a notebook or other gadget? Share your wisdom with me.
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