using my laptop
 

I am going to Europe in March for the first time. I just bought a new laptop. It has wireless. I bought an adapter for my power cord, which is 110-240v. I want to be able to use it in the evenings. What do I need to know?

If by "adapter" you mean a mechanical thing that lets your plug fit a European socket (note that UK and Continental are different), you're good to go.

Now just hope you find an open WiFi network within range of your hotel or favorite cafe.

Even if you don't have reliable wireless access, a laptop is useful to have for a lot of reasons. And cybercafe access is easy and affordable.

As antiquated as they may seem, a diskette drive can be useful for transferring e-mails, info you get while online (if at a cybercafe - - _not_ using your own computer), pictures and/or other things you write. CD-R/W can accomplish the same thing _from_ your laptop to another computer, but it's a little less likely that you can go the reverse direction (i.e., burn a CD in a cybercafe to move material back on to your laptop) - - therefore, the ability to read/write to diskete can be useful.

Europe is a big place - - where are you going?

Best wishes,

Rex

Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice), Switzerland (Lucerne), France (Paris) and England (London). It's a tour my bank is hosting. I had wanted to go to Egypt to see the pyramids, but have never been out of the country (except on a cruise to the Caribbean) and my husband won't leave the US, so when my bank offered this trip, I jumped at the opportunity to learn how to deal with international travel. I've already learned alot, about travel insurance for instance. And by the end of the trip, I think I can either plan my own trips or find another tour. I'm excited, can you tell? But do I have to have special address to connect to (I'm not using dial-up) when I'm in Europe?

<< But do I have to have special address to connect to (I'm not using dial-up) when I'm in Europe? >>

No. It sounds like (maybe) you have not used your laptop yet to access a public WiFi network. Go to a local pizza place or a coffee shop, a college campus or a Days Inn where free wilress access is offered, and you'll see how it works. There is no "address".

BUT:

Wireless access in rare in Continental southern europe, and pricey in London. So your choices are:
- live with the price, or
- devote time you can be giving to doing the things you've come to Europe to see and do to finding wireless, or
- use dial-up from your hotel room (which needs an address to dial up to , whether that's your server or webmail), or
- use internet cafes and webmail - and these are usually most efficuently used without your own laptop.

In practice, most of us use a mix of these strategies in the cxities you mention.

Diskettes ??? How 1990's !! If you are going to transfer information get a USB "memory stick" and use that. Easier, more convenient and you'll look cooler . . .

My kids would be so mortified that I suggested a diskette over a "thumb drive" (memory stick) - - and none of them has even been a teen for almost four years now!

You are so right.

flanneruk said "...use dial-up from your hotel room (which needs an address to dial up to , whether that's your server or webmail)..."

You need to have login credentials on a dial-up server that preferably doesn't cost body parts to connect (arms, legs, that sort of thing) - and that means a local drop of your own ISP (like EarthLink or AOL), or your landlord/host's. You can't get to your webmail until your computer is established as an internet "node" (which simply means an ethernet station) - either through your modem or ethernet port.

You're right, I haven't done public WiFi access yet. I have gone to the websites for the hotels I will be staying at, and they say 'internet access available', except in Lucerne, Switzerland, and in Paris it's 'internet options'. When my son goes to Detroit on business trips, he says he gets a number at the hotel desk and is then able to access wireless from his room. I will go to BestBuy tomorrow and get a 'USB memory stick'. I guess BestBuy will know what I'm asking for. I suppose I stick it in somewhere and use it like I would a floppy? I have roadrunner.

A portable USB memory is usually called a "thumb drive" - like this:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...;sku=202611655
or this:
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...;sku=202743517

I don't think BestBuy can touch those prices with a 3-meter Ukranian.

The term 'internet access' posted on a hotel website can mean any of these things - you won't know ahead of time which one it is unless you ask them.

a) free in-room wireless (or hard wired). unless they specifically state free, don't count on this option
b) in-room wired or wireless for a fee, which can range from $10-15/day usage.
c) computer setup in the hotel lobby - usually free, but often busy with other guests. You'll be able to get 10min internet time here and there but if other guests are waiting you won't be able to hang out online and surf, email, etc for long times.

To add to J62's correct comments and for possible future reference, some hotel (chains at least..such as Marriott) now will tell you specifically what sort of "internet access" is offered be it wired or not on their website.

Unfortunately, in those hotel lobhy situations there are, in fact, some people or their children who will literally hog a free computer to do all sorts of things (you could fall over dead behind them and they wouldn't notice) so you're going to enjoy having your own laptop when traveling.

I use my laptop for several things. If internet is available, I use it to do normal Inet things, like email and run my courses. I also use Skype as a phone, so I have a local number (as in Florida) regardless of where I am.

I use the laptop in the rental car for GPS navigation and on the plane to play DVDs when I'm bored.

Access is varied as to where you are. In London, my hotel had free WiFi in the customer lounge and in one of the restaurants, but in the room it cost like $10 per day. A couple of the B&Bs we stayed in had wireless, at no charge.

In Rome, our hotel supposedly has ISDN in the rooms at no charge. I'll learn how this works. Many internet cafes have Skype, so you can use it with their computers.

Dave

Ok. Good information, here. So, I will take a phone line to connect my computer to the wall, just in case. Now, I discontinued my Yahoo service when I got RoadRunner, but I still have a Yahoo email. If I am in a hotel (in an internet cafe I would use their computer) and need to plug my computer in, will they give me an access code? Will I be able to plug my line into the wall (these are 4 star hotels)?.

Also, I don't know what Skype is? Or how expensive? I've already learned that I will need at least an extra $100 a day to 'do' things (not counting shopping), and $15 a day for internet access (probably), and lunch $$. How does one use their laptop for GPS in the car? I'm intrigued.

Ok, I went to both sites and now know what a USB memory stick is (Not the same as a camera memory stick, ha ha). The price is good, too (1st is out of stock but not the 2nd). So, my question is, what drive is this called (for when I go to retreive something)?

It's called whatever the next available drive letter in your configuration is.

So if your computer has a C: hard drive and a D: optical drive, then it will be E: - or if your hard drive is partitioned into C: and D: and you have a memory stick plugged in, then the USB drive could be G:

Another good reason for having your laptop is that you can download your photos from your camera each evening. This means you need less memory cards for the camera. It also perhaps provides some insurance because you will probably carry your camera all the time, and keep laptop secured at hotel. That means it is more likely to have camera stolen on the street, but if it happened you wouldn't lose all your photos too. Don't forget to bring the cords both for recharging and for attaching the camera to the computer.

Check the batteries are the non exploding kind (various web sites) some carriers refusing to take some laps