Should the laptop stay home?
 

We had considered taking my laptop on vacation with us. (The usual tourist areas: Blue Mts., Daintree, Sydney, Cape Trib) Upon further investigation, it appears that wi-fi spots are few and far between with the exception of the CBD area. It is handy for loading pic's off the camera and love emailing the folks back home, but would you say it's more trouble than it's worth? Anyone from the US give it try and regret it?

Another thing to consider is the power. Do you have a powercord or plug converter for Australia sockets? Can your laptop be used on 220v?

Hi - I'm not from the US but wouldn't dream of taking a laptop when I travel just cos it is such a hassle to carry it around. And look after it. And imho you shouldn't have too much trouble finding places to burn photos to CD. You may not be able to insert said CD into a public computer to re-access the pix, but at least you free up storage on the card.

Sydney has many internet kaffs to cater for the backpacking crowd.

Same for Katoomba in the Blue Mts - probably not in Cape Trib unless your accommodation provides those sort of things. But Cairns will be thick with them.

Happy travels.

Thanks for the advice! Yes, my laptop can adapt to the differing voltage but you are right, it isn't easy hefting it around!

We recently spent 3 months in Australia (we're also from the US) and had considered taking a laptop too. We chose against it for the same reasons--more trouble than what it's worth. We do not regret our decision. Internet cafes are located everywhere and they will burn CDs or DVDs for you for a small cost. I had 2 copies of each card burned (different CDs) just to be safe. Also, I would check them on another computer to see if they worked before I erased the cards. Neurotic maybe, but I needed to be sure I had the images. Before we left the US, I had bought a portable storage unit for downloading images in the field. That was to be my second back-up. It failed me the first month. Hence, the duplicates burned at the internet cafes, and then stored in different luggage bags.

If it's just emailing you need to do on a more frequent basis, then most city and state libraries have free internet service. Cairns and Sydney libraries, both centrally located, each have various computers for public use. In addition, some of the hotels where we stayed had a computer or two in the lobby for guest use. And, of course, there are internet cafes everywhere.

From the U.S.?

Yes, it is much more trouble than it's worth.

Remember, you are on VACATION! Keep things simple & stress-free and you will have more fun. The priority on this trip is you, not the folks back home.

yes.

Tell that to my mother!;-)
We have used libraries in the past with great success. It was funny though, that in Wales we had to have a photo ID made, background checks, blah, blah, blah before we could use the computer! I even got something in the mail recently asking if I wanted to renew!! That would have to be one heck of a book for me to travel back to Wales to check it out! haha

I'm absolutely the odd one out here, but laptops should stay home along with cell phones! What is the overwhelming need people have to be in touch with other people ALL the time? I am serious - there are posts on some boards asking about a destination and then ruling it out because there is no cell service!

Go on vacation. Stop talking. Be quiet for a while. Rest. If there is an emergency at home they will find you, or you can find a phone and call. You are going to a civilized place, not another planet.

Amen!

You're not on your own, oliverandharry. We decided against taking a laptop when we made a 6-week visit to the US and Canada last year and didn't regret it for a moment, despite the very widespread availability of free WiFi. We used guest PCs and internet cafes. We took two 256MB cards for the camera and as soon as one was full had a camera shop burn the pix to CD (BTW, I ofund that service signifiantly cheaper in Australia).

I did take a triband mobile phone but gave up on it when a Cingular shop couldn't get one of their SIM cards to work in it. We bought phone cards and made cheap calls home from our motels whenever we felt like it.

I agree with you (and this is not a reflection on any poster here) that as a society we're developing an almost neurotic fear of not being in touch with people we know 24 x 7. How on earth did we cope a few short years ago?

Alright, you've convinced me. No laptop, no cellphone (which was never an option to begin with!) Although it was neat that time I used my phone to take a pic of me by Stonehenge and then email it immediately to my parents! I think technology is great and we NEVER use ours for work. I do like the idea of buying another card for the camera. I think we'll go that route. The vid cam is also staying home. Don't want to spend vacation looking through a viewfinder!!

I didn't find any place where I could get a wireless signal (except at friend's house in Auckland). So taking the laptop with me was of very limited use. Also found that every hotel - even nearly all B&B's - had a computer available for e-mail use. Otherwise, found internet cafe's to be cheap (NZ$2 for 15-20 minutes) and plentiful.

doug

I'm not from the US..however my opinion is that......
Unless you have one of these dead smart laptops that weigh about 1kg I wouldn't bother.

You will have plenty of opportunity to access internet at many places. Some hotels have it in their reception, there are internet cafe's as mentioned.

When we were in Oz there was an abundance of photo shops that could drop photographs from the memory cards on to CD for just a few $.

So really weigh up the hasstle of lugging it about, the security of not losing or damaging it against your needs.
Considering you can do most things somewhere else personally I wouldn't bother.

Good luck

Muck

Hey Muck....surprised to see you are not in sydney now with the Wales "C" side.

Hi John,
'C' side is more like a jetlagged D side.

I was going to go but Glamorgan needed me in Swansea.

All out for 60 runs OMG.
Only they could lose a 4 day game in less than 2 !

Muck

Muck,
Thanks for the reply! I now have decided to forgo the ol' laptop! My husband and I vacationed in Wales in summer of 2005. We covered it from top to bottom (which isn't an easy thing to do!). It is a beautiful, beautiful place and one of our most favorite vacations we've ever taken!

Guess I'm on the opposite side of this debate - 3 go away for Jan/Feb/Mar and take a (small/light) laptop with us - this year in Australia and NZ virtually every motel we stayed in had wi-fi (often free) - we do post to our blog a lot so perhaps that's why we prefer having the laptop rather than using internet cafes.......my laptop is small and fits easily in my backpack - I don't even think about it now.

Hi Elizabeth_S, Those really small laptops are the answer I reckon.

Sadly my Dell, would need a suitcae of its own, lol

:-)

Muck

Elizabeth_S,
I revise my snotty opinions in favor of your laptop. I followed your Australian adventure with much interest (and envy) especially since you went to Norfolk based on my reccs. It's clear you also really have a handle on the technology side of things - the photos you posted were always terrific.