Technologically inept person needs laptop for travel. Please help!

soul

Observer
Surface 2, rugged has full USB and touch or type cover. Supports tons of USB devices, microSD and comes with Microsoft Office. Much high value than iPad or any other tablet


Sent from Lumia 1020 Tapatalk
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
No built in cellular. Built in gps?

All those ports are just ways to get dust and water inside.

Literally millions fewer applications designed for the surface tablet than an iPad. Especially for traveling!!

No way would I put a Surface at a higher value than an iPad!

Since the keyboard is an EXTRA $130 I wouldn't exactly call it an advantage. For the same or less money you have dozens of keyboard choices for the ipad.

Developers and accessories manufacturers developed products for the ipad first since it's a much bigger market for them. Apple also holds them to a higher standard for apps too! So the end user gets a much better end product!


Surface 2, rugged has full USB and touch or type cover. Supports tons of USB devices, microSD and comes with Microsoft Office. Much high value than iPad or any other tablet


Sent from Lumia 1020 Tapatalk
 

LallyTrek

New member
You're a fine salesman, Cole. I'm glad you actually took your ipad on a legitimate trip and are speaking from experience.

Right now I'm looking around at Ipads and Chromebooks with solid state drives.

Thanks again for all the recommendations, folks
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
You're a fine salesman, Cole. I'm glad you actually took your ipad on a legitimate trip and are speaking from experience.

Right now I'm looking around at Ipads and Chromebooks with solid state drives.

Thanks again for all the recommendations, folks

Haha.....not really trying to sell:coffeedrink:

But, I've used a lot of technology over the years and have been impressed with everything the iPad really has to offer. Especially for travel. (Posting this from my iPad over the Verizon network while camped out in my
VW van btw, its 10* outside)

For full disclosure I have always carried an Android phone, own a Toughbook, and have a Garmin GPS mounted to the bike! Just want to point out that I'm not the "Apple Fanboi" that must own everything Apple just because its Apple. I just believe with this product they got it right!

It takes a touch of a learning curve as some things jut have to be done differently. But there is not much that I have found that it can't do! (Can't run Garmin Mapsource to transfer waypoints to the GPS......but what a pile of crap technology Garmin has there!!) easier to just enter them right on he the GPS anyway....or buy their latest setup that has Bluetooth.......now I'm getting off topic!


Edit: Another thing that I love about a table vs a laptop.."instant on"....I just set this down, shut it off, picked it back up and instantly edited this post. Makes the tablet far more usable than waiting for laptops to boot!
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
......tablet is also far easier to hide when away from the vehicle. Since it can slide into any small crack or cubby! Its fits where a laptop won't so it can be hidden in spots where people might not look!
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
Why would you want a Chromebook other than cost? What is the appeal? From what I have read via magazine reviews, the Chromebooks are pretty useless without an internet connection. Plus, something that low in processor power is really not going to be an effective platform for managing a lot of travel photos. Just something to think about. I think there are more appropriate solutions out there based on your originally stated needs.
 

Cole

Expedition Leader
Fwiw, I just looked at my iPad stats and I have about 6,000 photos on it, about 2200 songs, a bunch of video, and my 128g iPad air is about half full. (Traveled with a 1,2,3 over the years btw) Most of the pictures on here were taken with a Nikon D90 and are pretty big, high res images!
 

LallyTrek

New member
ipad

Chromebooks are tempting mainly because of the price and the solid state hard drive, but like I said, I'm going to look into them, I'm not set on one. I still haven't actually sat down and compared performance or GB or available software etc. Sounds like they have their downsides? As far as durability goes, aside from the tough books, most laptops all seem to be relatively similar, so I'll need a case to protect the externals anyway, but at least the chromebook has the solid state hard drive I can bang around a bit more? I still have to read into what limitations come with a chromebook/solid state though.

I'm going to head to the apple store soon and check out some of the keyboard accessories. I plan on doing some lengthy writing, and sometimes with my computer/laptop/tablet/whatever in my actual lap, so I want to see if that's ever convenient with a tablet.

I've been passively shopping for a new computer for a week, but I think I'm running out of time and actually need to sit down and do the research and make a decision.

....and yea. That baja ipad ad is pretty cool!
 

LallyTrek

New member
so processing power and limitations without internet are two things I'll read into regarding the chromebook.

Thanks again
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
If you are going to the Apple store, be sure to take a good hard look at the MacBook Air. Durable all alum chassis, about the same size/weight of the ipad, back lit keyboard, solid state drives, outstanding screen, all the built in software you are going to need, ease of use, 10 hour battery, etc....
 

dddonkey

Adventurer
My vote is the Ipad for motorcycle travel. The only reason I say that is I have been deployed 6 times and the only that ever came back with out and problems was my Ipad. I have thousands of miles convoying in many diffrent vehicals and it lasts. Plus the battery last much longer than most others, I was so impressed with it I now have a Mac Book Pro for homework (master program) and still use my Ipad daily.
 

LallyTrek

New member
Huh. Finally took a closer look at Chromebooks, and you're right nwoods, they're completely useless without internet. The Macbook air sounds great, but they're out of my price range. I may be looking at an Ipad more closely. Have to start shopping around to see what I can get them for.

I could get a small laptop, a good external case, and install a solid state drive to make it a bit more durable?? Although, for any solid state drive with a decent amount of memory, the price gets high pretty quick....
 

xbox73

Adventurer
If you go the laptop route, an SSD (no moving parts) instead of a mechanical hard drive will definitely be more rugged. High capacity SSDs can be pricey, but no more pricey than having that amount of memory built into a tablet.
 

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