I just bought one last summer and have taken several trips since I've had it and no, I'm not traveling with it. I got along fine before I had it and will still get along fine. I only bought it, in the first place, due to my work/family situation. I've been on borrowed computers and internet cafes for years. Happy Travels!

My friends told me that I would regret taking my laptop to Europe last year. However, I loved having it with me and will be taking it again to Europe this coming summer.

We took my husband's little Acer laptop to Paris and used it a couple of times in a week. It was so small it wasn't burdensome to take it but we didn't use it much so I am not sure I'd bother taking it next time. I should say that our apartment had free phone calls back to the US and since we had left our daughter with her grandparents we were more interested in calling then emailing.

OK. I'm going to Italy next week and I've decided to go ahead and take my lappy with me. I recall trips to London and Las Vegas when I had to find Internet cafes. While they were easy to find, it was a pain to do so. OTOH, on trips after I bought it I was able to catch up with important things going on back home, was occupied during a bout of insomnia and watched a couple of movies during an airport layover. I'm going to a couple of cities on this trip and I'm going to be meeting up with people. So email would be handy to have at my access. Thanks, guys!

I am taking a netbook on my next trip, since all I really need is the internet and none of the other functions.

I always bring my laptop on trips. Usually I use it to make free Skype calls home to my family. And also I use it to check bank statements and finances - to make sure I pay bills on time.

But that's just me. Everyone's different. I know a colleague who does not even bring a cell phone when going on holiday because she prefers to stay "out of touch" while not working.

I can understand why nowadays the tide has turned in favor of taking a laptop. The primary reasons seem to be:

(1) Skype/MagicJack makes it a substitute cellfone for calling anywhere

(2) Travel information is readily accessible

(3) Modern web-oriented laptops are half the size, weight and cost of just a few years ago

(4) Offloading travel photos/videos (though large SD cards are cheap now)

Yet...On my recent overseas trip sans laptop I brought four books with me (and bought another one at the airport). I can't imagine how I would have been able to get through them with the Internet lurking. Since I rarely have the time to read them at home, it was almost like rediscovering an old flame. (I don't think Kinder would have been the same while lounging in a sunny outdoor patio.) Haven't been on a train lately, but if it's like airplanes these days I'm sure half of the tourists (yeah, the young ones) have their noses buried in Facebook or something while the Alps whizz by. That's OK by me -- just as long as they keep those dam cellfones next to me OFF.

i am definitely buying a small one
internet was mostly wireless...very few places had an actual computer and if they did it was expensive or there was a queue
it wouldve been great for keeping in touch and doing local research

no matter how much research you do ....few things make sense til you get there and then the questions arise...