If BG is only going to use the computer in the hotel room, I'd suggest leaving the battery at home altogether.

<< ...Also back up frequently... >>

Presumably, this advice is mostly important when you are NOT traveling.

How many of us did prudent back up of the contents of our laptop in the past week? month? year?

I back up my laptop weekly.

She may need the extra battery on the plane trip to and fro.

Instead of any battery at all for working on the plane would be a portable power supply that runs off the aircraft electrical system.

BergamoGirl - if you have sensitive customer data on your computer, you should look into encrypting it so that even if it's stolen, no one can (easily)¹ read it. In Windows XP, the function you should implement is Encrypting File System (EFS).

¹ There is a way to make it <i>impossible</i> to read under any circumstances. This involves writing the encryption key to a thumb drive (for example) and keeping it with you. Leave a backup of your data at home, just in case you lose the encryption key.

&quot;Is there a particular reason why you want to lug an expensive, fragile, easily stolen, extra piece of luggage?&quot;

Ira is one of the gray-hairs on this site and also possesses a subtle sense of humor, so with this post, which doesn't even attempt to answer your question, I'm wondering if, in his impish way, he's just stirring the tired old &quot;laptop-or-not&quot; pot on this board.

Rex expressed my position well. I wouldn't leave home without my laptop and took it with me on my trip last month. I rely on it primarily for downloading photos but also found it helpful for accessing the internet via WI-FI in those few situations where free WI-FI was available. In those situations, it was invaluable for sending and receiving data files via e-mail.

I brought with me a dsl cord (which I didn't use) but didn't bring a telephone cord, which I needed for free internet access via telephone hookup provided by one of our hotels. You'll likely need a special thin-wired cord for plugging into a telephone for access to the internet.

Mhy experience with attempting to use my laptop on airplanes was unsatisfactory. My IBM Thinkpad T-42's battery is only rated for 3.5 hours, so I would need to bring a rather havy spare battery to extend its use. More problematic is the fact that the slope of the seats and limited space meant I couldn't open my laptop fully.

For the first time I'm planning to bring a LapTop with me to France. It's a newer one so it's very small and lightweight. The one item I'm bringing with me for the computer is a surge protector/plug adapter--ordered from Magellins per a suggestion from another Fodor's poster.

As a minimum requirement you will need a european adapter for power. It is always best to ask the manufacturer wether and other equiptemnt is needed.

I remember when I moved from canada my dad who is a electronic engineer built 5 transformers so that the stuff could work in the UK ... I think many good quality laptops, in the modern world, will have capability to switch between the american and european voltages though.

Modem plugs are also specific. Network cables are the same world over as far as I am aware so as long as you have a broadband in the hotel you should be fine.

Hi MF,

&gt;Ira is one of the gray-hairs on this site ....&lt;

What little hair I still have is mostly white. :)

&gt;I rely on it primarily for downloading photos

A 1 gb memory card is a lot cheaper, and easier to carry, than a lap top.

&gt;found it helpful for accessing the internet via WI-FI in those few situations where free WI-FI was available.

You do know that WiFi is not secure? It's like broadcasting on a cell phone.

&gt;In those situations, it was invaluable for sending and receiving data files via e-mail.&lt;

I have to assume that you are doing this as part of your work. This is quite different from being on vacation, so a laptop would be an appropriate accoutrement.

((I))

WiFi is no less secure than being plugged into a DSL line. The same precautions apply to both: don't send anything sensitive over an unencrypted link.

&quot;A 1 gb memory card is a lot cheaper, and easier to carry, than a lap top.&quot;

Depends on how many you are going to take

&lt;&lt; ... A 1 gb memory card is a lot cheaper, and easier to carry, than a lap top ... &gt;&gt;

Our family finds increasingly, that digital pictures are enjoyed just as much during the trip, as after. Even cropping and editing are enjoyable &quot;down-time&quot; activities.

And more and more, we are traveling with the SanDisk viewer which means we can view them on a big TV screen (not sure about PAL signal, we use NTSC here in the US) - - not much bigger than a harmonica - - for those who would rather take a $49, eight-ounce device (often under $25 on eBay), rather than a $400 one.

Ira, darling, you're a dear, but the original poster didn't ask for advice as to whether or not to bring her laptop. Geez! Mention &quot;laptop&quot; on this site and a mob forms with nooses at the ready, jumping in with unsolicited advice and diluting the usefulness of the thread by changing the subject.

But since you and others insist on carrying on in answering a question not asked, &Iacute;'ll follow the trend and say that if I had a choice, I would always prefer to use WI-FI with my laptop vs. trying to access the internet in a smoky, noisy interet cafe, with the meter running, on an unfamiliar keyboard (&quot;How do I make an @ sign?&quot;), at a time of day when I'm likely not in the mood to write a chatty e-mail, perhaps attaching a couple of photos I've downloaded to my computer.

Apologies to BergamoGirl for contributing to the &quot;laptop-or-not&quot; digrssion.

Well, <i><b><u>I</u></b></i> would take the RER!

&lt;&lt; &quot;How do I make an @ sign?&quot; &gt;&gt;

Log on to fodors.com where you can find it easily, and copy/cut/paste...

I can't believe how many replys I have on this one simple question. I don't understand why people have issues with someone taking a laptop. I have traveled around the world and yes I hate lugging around my laptop but sometimes it makes life easier. I don't want to fit in a stop to the internet cafe when I can stay in my apartment or hotel room and do the same thing at my convenience. I have learned my lesson to never ask about a laptop again. :0)

Hello from Paris where it is a lovely evening as I sit here at my laptop in my comfy snuggies, gazing out over canal St. Martin, savoring a glass of porto and occasionally glancing at my niece across the room on another laptop emailing and chatting with her friends back in the States, both of us making good use of the wireless access in our holiday apartment.
Beragamogirl you got a lot of good advice, though probably a lot more heat than light. I have not seen a laptop in years that was not rated for 110-220v input; you will need an adaptor but probably not a convertor/transformer. A surge protector is not a bad idea, either. Some hotels have only wired internet access but those usually can lend you the wire you need. One word of caution, internet acecss can be quite pricey in some European hotels, so allow for that in your budget.
P.S. I am another old grey (what's left of it) hair on this board.

Hi MF,

&gt;Ira, darling, you're a dear,

&quot;My blushes...&quot;

&gt;but the original poster didn't ask for advice as to whether or not to bring her laptop. &lt;

Occasionally, one must query whether OP's know what they are doing. This was one time. As it turned out, she needs a laptop for business.

Another example is people who want to know if they need seat reservations with a railpass without having checked if they should buy a railpass at all.

((I))

If you have wi-fi, go to http://www.jwire.com.
Enter an address and jwire will give you a listing and map of the all free wi-fi access points (cafe, hotel, etc.) within a radius of your address.

Also, you might want to setup a Skype (http://www.skype.com) to call home using the microphone on your computer. I paid less than 2euro/cents a minute when calling the US from Europe.

So very sorry Dahling!! My immediate response was to remember returning to my rental car on my last trip and finding my laptop missing. I didn't have anyone's private information on it either. I can honestly say that I found a guy's hand in my handbag in the Vatican (of all places). When I smacked his hand, he claimed he dropped a flash bulb. HAH

With that I assume that IRS, the CPAs and so many other poor dear working stiffs wish that they had left the machine at home.

Again, never said it to start a rumble, and I'm sure Ira wasn't looking for a rumble either.

Ciao and enjoy your trip!!

So what do I need?

The AC adapter sold with both Inspiron and Latitude systems will work with AC power sources worldwide. The AC adapter can handle 90-276 VAC 50-60 Hz, which means that the AC adapter will auto switch to adapt to a voltage current between 90 and 276 volts. The AC adapter will function properly without risk of damage as long as the current does not surpass this range.

You must obtain the appropriate plug adapter that will accommodate the type of power outlet particular to your travel destination(s).


Before using AC power in a foreign country, you may need to obtain a new power cable that is rated for use with the level of electrical voltage in that country. The power cable supplied with Dell notebook systems sold in the United States is rated to handle 115 volts.