Touring - Traveling with laptop or PDA?

I need a light weight technology solution for being able to send text and pictures from the road. I know bringing technology and gadgets kind of diminishes the experience of "getting away" but I want to be able to update my website and send pictures every few days from my touring adventures--it was also written into an agreement with a sponsor so I sort of have to do it.

My two options:

Find a 4lb or less laptop that has wi-fi built in and download digital pictures from my camera. Hopefully I will encounter a wifi signal in some of the towns I will be riding through and send off the pictures and text when I can. (I am doing Adventure Cycling's Transamerica Route)

or

From previous threads on the forum I read that people have had success using a PDA hooked up to a cell phone to send text, using the phone as a modem. I am considering purchasing a Pocket PC PDA (iPAC 4155) which has Wifi and bluetooth technologyu built in--it also accepts the memory card from some digital cameras so you can download pictures right to the PDA, then send them off when you encounter a wifi signal.

Does anybody have any other suggestions or product advice? Believe me, I would rather leave all this behind and just ride, gadget free...but I can't. :(

Also, I know that Verizon has the best national cell phone coverage but does anybody use AT&T?

Thanks!

I need a light weight technology solution for being able to send text and pictures from the road. I know bringing technology and gadgets kind of diminishes the experience of "getting away" but I want to be able to update my website and send pictures every few days from my touring adventures--it was also written into an agreement with a sponsor so I sort of have to do it.

My two options:

Find a 4lb or less laptop that has wi-fi built in and download digital pictures from my camera. Hopefully I will encounter a wifi signal in some of the towns I will be riding through and send off the pictures and text when I can. (I am doing Adventure Cycling's Transamerica Route)

or

From previous threads on the forum I read that people have had success using a PDA hooked up to a cell phone to send text, using the phone as a modem. I am considering purchasing a Pocket PC PDA (iPAC 4155) which has Wifi and bluetooth technologyu built in--it also accepts the memory card from some digital cameras so you can download pictures right to the PDA, then send them off when you encounter a wifi signal.

Does anybody have any other suggestions or product advice? Believe me, I would rather leave all this behind and just ride, gadget free...but I can't. :(

Also, I know that Verizon has the best national cell phone coverage but does anybody use AT&T?

Thanks!

I had a first generation Treo http://handspring.com/products/communicators/index.jhtml;jsessionid=UETOYPPMLXEGTQFIAE1CFE4AVAATKIV0 that was really neat for retrieving/sending email, and browsing. These newer models are even better at doing just those things. But for decent pictures, web editing, etc, there is no way that one of these devices come even close to a lightweight laptop. As far as wireless web access, its hard to buy a new laptop nowdays that doesn't include it. But plan on using modems most of the time to upload. Also, let me offer this link: http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/bicycling.html This guy carries a laptop with him on all his tours, and updates from the road. This might give you some ideas, on packing/dealing with a laptop. Also, check kenkeifer.com. He also traveled with one, and rigged up a solar panel to charge his batteries.

I use my Sprint PDA to do any of the apps you mention. It uses the 3G (fast) data transmission technology same as Verizon and I have free data connection plan. I have it connected to both Pocket PC PDA and a notebook via an aftermarket cable and Software. I prefer to use the notebook much more especially with higher rez camera. PDA just has too many limitations, it is more pain to use, but it is lighter.

If you need to actually edit your pictures, you will probably need a notebook. A PDA will be fine for just uploading the pictures and keeping a text diary. I plan on using a Palm Tungsten T3 for the same purpose (both my digicam and the T3 use SD cards), but I am a bit worried about the power drain. My old Palm V could go on for weeks with one charge and occasional use - not so with the T3. Better display, Bluetooth etc all take their toll on batteries.

--J

I'm in the same situation- I was between bringing a laptop or a PDA for my trip. At the end of the day, I chose a laptop, and it's on the heavier side too, because although the centrino laptops are certainly lighter, you can't upgrade them. I don't want an outdated laptop within a couple of years, so I decided to go with a nice HP laptop. It is wireless, so that's taken care of. I have a digital SLR camera, and I uploaded the software for the camera onto the laptop and did a trial upload from one of my memory cards. From the looks of things, I will probably get a couple of more cards and maybe a card reader if the card reader is significantly faster with the uploads and isn't going to **** my bank account up the butt in the process of paying for it! The laptop will be kept cushioned on my rack at the top of the pile, except in rain- then it will go in the trailer in a sealed plastic bag to protect from the rain. Just in case, I got renters insurance, so that should help me out in the event the laptop gets stolen or breaks during the trip.

I also have a CD burner on the laptop, so each night, I'll be burning the pictures onto my laptop and sending the pictures home via UPS every week. This is on the offchance that something may happen to the laptop. I don't want to lose any pictures.

Good luck with your tour.

Koffee

Koffee, couldn't you just buy an adaptor for you card and plug it directly in the laptop's PCMCIA card slot? That should speed things up, and no extra boxes & wires... downside is, you'll only be able to use it with a laptop.

--J

Isn't a card reader the adaptor you're talking about or is that something else?

I plan on only using the laptop for business related stuff, so uploading pictures on the laptop is the plan.

Koffee

I'm in the same situation- I was between bringing a laptop or a PDA for my trip. At the end of the day, I chose a laptop, and it's on the heavier side too, because although the centrino laptops are certainly lighter, you can't upgrade them. I don't want an outdated laptop within a couple of years, so I decided to go with a nice HP laptop. It is wireless, so that's taken care of. I have a digital SLR camera, and I uploaded the software for the camera onto the laptop and did a trial upload from one of my memory cards. From the looks of things, I will probably get a couple of more cards and maybe a card reader if the card reader is significantly faster with the uploads and isn't going to **** my bank account up the butt in the process of paying for it! The laptop will be kept cushioned on my rack at the top of the pile, except in rain- then it will go in the trailer in a sealed plastic bag to protect from the rain. Just in case, I got renters insurance, so that should help me out in the event the laptop gets stolen or breaks during the trip.

I also have a CD burner on the laptop, so each night, I'll be burning the pictures onto my laptop and sending the pictures home via UPS every week. This is on the offchance that something may happen to the laptop. I don't want to lose any pictures.

Good luck with your tour.

Koffee

Which HP laptop did you get and how heavy is it? Are you finding that you are able to get wifi signals while touring? i am leaning towards the computer since I need a new laptop anyway and I'm not much of a PDA person--so i'd probably not use it much after the trip.

I am not bringing a trailer so I am a bit concerned about the computer getting damaged in my rear panniers.

i like the cd idea alot. thanks

If you need to actually edit your pictures, you will probably need a notebook. A PDA will be fine for just uploading the pictures and keeping a text diary. I plan on using a Palm Tungsten T3 for the same purpose (both my digicam and the T3 use SD cards), but I am a bit worried about the power drain. My old Palm V could go on for weeks with one charge and occasional use - not so with the T3. Better display, Bluetooth etc all take their toll on batteries.

--J

editing pictures is not so important to me as is having the ability to send them off quickly. Would you recommend the Palm Tungsten T3 over the HO iPac 4155? I'm sort of new to bluetooth technology but I assume you beam pictures and text to your bluetooth cell phone? Or do you simply send the pictures and text from the PDA itself when you get a wifi signal? I am not a very tech savy person so all of this is quite new to me. Also, what kind of digital camera do you have which allows you to download pictures to your Tungsten?

I have an HP Pavilion ze5570 Pentium 4 Mobile 2.66GHz / 512MB / 60GB / CD-RW DVD-ROM Combo Drive / 15" XGA / XP. I believe it weighs something like 9 pounds. I haven't begun my tour yet, but I have lugged it around in my messenger bag with no problems, except it's a bit heavy on the back. I don't know about the wifi signals yet since I haven't used the wifi, but once I get on the road, I'll drop you a PM.

Koffee

I'd say a laptop is too heavy and a PDA can't really do the job. Why not get some help on the "home end" instead?

A decent digital camera weighs almost nothing. Ditto for one of those voice recorders that uses the same memory sticks as the camera. Get some spare memory sticks - and enlist some help to maintain the website. When you fill up a memory stick with pictures and voice recordings you can send it off to the "anchor" back home who can update your website. They can either transcribe the voice recordings or, even better, simply put your voice recordings on the website.

At the max you'll be toting less than a pound, it won't take near the space, and you'll end up with a better website than if you try to maintain the site from the field with inadequate tools. Oh, and it will cost a lot less, too.

John

That would solve the problem with the pictures, but what about text? To keep your journal up, you'd need something- either a PDA or laptop, and that's the most important reason why I'm toting a laptop all over the place. I've already tried to go without on my last trip with unsatisfying results. I know now that it's pretty much my best option now.

Koffee

That would solve the problem with the pictures, but what about text? To keep your journal up, you'd need something- either a PDA or laptop, and that's the most important reason why I'm toting a laptop all over the place. I've already tried to go without on my last trip with unsatisfying results. I know now that it's pretty much my best option now.

Koffee
Personally, I'd much rather dictate into the voice recorder and mail the memory stick off to my "support team" back home. That was why I specified a camera and voice recorder that use the removable memory sticks. Your support team can either post your voice narration on the web as streaming audio or transcribe your notes. It's a lot easier / more comfortable for someone back home to do the actual typing and website maintenance than it is to try to keep bird droppings off your laptop keyboard as you perch on a park bench somewhere pecking out text (please note the carefully constructed bird metaphors) :)

But then, I have to confess that I absolutely detest laptops and their funky keyboards and "pointing devices." I've owned a few, and had others from work, and have yet to find one that isn't terribly frustrating. Maybe it's just because I've spent my life behind a full size keyboard and I expect to be able to type 75 to 80 WPM with few errors. ;)

You'd have to pay me a small fortune to get me to drag a PDA, let alone a laptop, on a hike or bike trip with me.

John

I guess you'd have to have a support team, but if you don't have one, it would be difficult to do as you proposed. It would also be difficult to do if you were travelling multiple countries or going to countries where the mail is a little bit on the suspect side.

If you're perching on a park bench, most likely, you are using the table to support your laptop. And the bird metaphors are duly noted, but not any more relevant than if you were reading a book while perched on that same bench.

Besides that, it would cost too much to carry that much tape with you, especially if you were doing longer trips. Sure, tapes are only a few dollars, but I could probably talk through 3 hours worth of tape every day, then I would have to bother to mail everything back too- and that's every day for weeks on end. It's way too much. And using a notebook and writing longhands is too time consuming- I kept a diary for part of one trip before giving up. It's too exhausting to spend 2- 4 hours on one journal entry when you can type it up in 30 - 45 minutes. Plus, everything is saved and can be edited, added to, etc. without hassle.

For a short term trip, definitely, I wouldn't say a laptop or PDA is manditory, but for a longer trip... you really need those devices. It would be painful to go without one, unless you plan on doing a lot less recording of your experiences.

Koffee

As someone else has mentioned, although a little dated, Ken Kifer offered some pretty good tips on touring with a solar powered laptop (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/touring/laptop.htm).

I'd say a laptop is too heavy and a PDA can't really do the job. Why not get some help on the "home end" instead?

John

I think for the author who started this thread, this might be an excellent solution and one that I had never considered. Thanks for that potential solution. As for myself, I would be a little selfish. Hey, its my tour, and I am giving up creative control to someone back home?? I could almost justify carrying a 12# laptop before letting some of my friends lose to edit/document my trip . . . . :o

I think the "better" solution would be to get a sub-notebook (one of those really small laptops) or one of those PDAs with wireless and a thumbboard built-in (like the SONY Clié UX-50)

I know BenQ and Fujitsu makes those tiny sub-notebooks. Would be great on the road I think.
How about the 12" Apple iBook. Great machine. Around 2.2kg or so. Good enough to do the job. I'm using one so I know. :)

As for the Sony Clié UX-50 PDA, seems like a mini laptop replacement to me. If you are using a Sony camera (or a camera that uses Sony's Memory Sticks), you can just pop the Memory Stick into the Clié and view the photos instantly.
But if you want to upload them onto the internet, maybe it would be a little more difficult. You could e-mail someone from the PDA and get them to post the pictures.
As for text input, I believe the browser that comes with the Clié would be good enough to input text.

However, mobile wireless (or GPRS) isn't that fast if you would want to do file transfers. Your best bet would to find wireless hotspots that you could use.

Just my thoughts as a "geek".

If you need any advice, feel free to ask.

Regards,
Andre

i HATE wireless access. i am curently on gprs that SHOuld be faster than 56k dial up. i waste too much time waiting for sites to load. i say you should get a GOOD digi cam with the money that you would save on the laptop, and just stop by cyber cafes to upload and manage your site.

also use a notepad to write down your thoughts. i find it easier than writting on a computer.

I have previously just kept a diary. A Palm V with an external foldable keyboard did the trick for me. Good battery life, small, durable - and once you get home the text is basically ready for formatting etc.

I plan to add pictures. This in itself does not require Bluetooth / cell phone or wlan, just a digicam and a PDA that can share memory cards. My choice will be a Tungsten T3 with foldable keyboard (I have those already for other reasons) and a Pentax Optio digicam. T3 and Pentax both use SD memory cards. The digicam stores pictures in jpg-format, so all I need is a jpg viewing / editing software for the T3. Probably all the editing I need to do is to create low-resolution versions of selected photos for T3/Internet use. There have been some reports of early T3s corrupting SD cards, so that is one concern. There is very little hard data on this that I could find, so I suppose I will just have to try it out for myself. I will start with the measly 32MB SD that comes with the Pentax.

PDA will not have enough memory to store many pictures, so the ability to send stuff somewhere (e-mail, upload to a web server) would be a good idea. This is where you need either wlan or Bluetooth with a cell phone. If you want to increase battery life for both the cell phone and PDA, forget Bluetooth and use a cable. Wlan is fast, but requires "hot spot" for service. Where I tour, these can be difficult to find, but cell phone coverage is everywhere, so I am willing to try the slow dial-up connection via the phone (low-res photo versions help here). It remains to be seen how it works. I know it is not going to be fast by any standards.

sommers, I have not used any other PDAs than Palm V and T3, so I cannot compare. T3 does not come readily equipped with wlan, but you can get that feature for extra $$.

Koffee, a card reader is an external box that (usually) plugs into the USB socket of your laptop. Good thing is, you can get 9 in 1 readers, that support all known memory cards currently available. So you are not limited to any particulare type of card (you can get a reader for just one type of card if you want, but the size / price difference is small compared to an all-in-one reader). A card adapter is basically a PCMCIA card with a slot for memory card. You put the memory card in the slot, insert the whole thing in PCMCIA of your laptop, and the card will show up as additional disk drive in My computer. Very simple and effective, but you will be limited to one type of memory cards only, so if you get a new camera with a different kind of memory card, you will have to get a new adapter as well.

--J

Koffee,
Have you heard of mp3 music? It's compressed audio. You could buy an 40gb Ipod from Apple or a 20gb Digital Jukebox from Dell computer, both are lightweight gadgets that are about the size of a deck of cards , and both have digital recorders (add-on for the Ipod), which record and compress your voice into mp3 and it's mind boggling how much they can store. I think you could talk into one for weeks without it filling up.
When you get home you could upload the data on your computer, run voice recognition software and convert it to text if you want to.
You could also put some mp3 music on and enjoy that too. No tapes necessary
With another add-on, the Ipod can now read memory sticks and store your digital photos as well.
In my opinion, the Ipod is an absolute dream for cycle tourists.

We've been looking at this for our multi-year cycling tour.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=NleZc_4vfYCZcb6eFCSTeLEg5eaxQ021rTM=?ProductSKU=PCGTR3A&Dept=wls&CategoryName=wls_vaiowireless

this article may be of some interest :)
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/touring/laptop.htm

I have previously just kept a diary. A Palm V with an external foldable keyboard did the trick for me. Good battery life, small, durable - and once you get home the text is basically ready for formatting etc.

I plan to add pictures. This in itself does not require Bluetooth / cell phone or wlan, just a digicam and a PDA that can share memory cards. My choice will be a Tungsten T3 with foldable keyboard (I have those already for other reasons) and a Pentax Optio digicam. T3 and Pentax both use SD memory cards. The digicam stores pictures in jpg-format, so all I need is a jpg viewing / editing software for the T3. Probably all the editing I need to do is to create low-resolution versions of selected photos for T3/Internet use. There have been some reports of early T3s corrupting SD cards, so that is one concern. There is very little hard data on this that I could find, so I suppose I will just have to try it out for myself. I will start with the measly 32MB SD that comes with the Pentax.

PDA will not have enough memory to store many pictures, so the ability to send stuff somewhere (e-mail, upload to a web server) would be a good idea. This is where you need either wlan or Bluetooth with a cell phone. If you want to increase battery life for both the cell phone and PDA, forget Bluetooth and use a cable. Wlan is fast, but requires "hot spot" for service. Where I tour, these can be difficult to find, but cell phone coverage is everywhere, so I am willing to try the slow dial-up connection via the phone (low-res photo versions help here). It remains to be seen how it works. I know it is not going to be fast by any standards.

sommers, I have not used any other PDAs than Palm V and T3, so I cannot compare. T3 does not come readily equipped with wlan, but you can get that feature for extra $$.

Koffee, a card reader is an external box that (usually) plugs into the USB socket of your laptop. Good thing is, you can get 9 in 1 readers, that support all known memory cards currently available. So you are not limited to any particulare type of card (you can get a reader for just one type of card if you want, but the size / price difference is small compared to an all-in-one reader). A card adapter is basically a PCMCIA card with a slot for memory card. You put the memory card in the slot, insert the whole thing in PCMCIA of your laptop, and the card will show up as additional disk drive in My computer. Very simple and effective, but you will be limited to one type of memory cards only, so if you get a new camera with a different kind of memory card, you will have to get a new adapter as well.

--J



thanks for the advice! I checked out the T3 and it looks good except I think I'd like a little bit more screen plus I'm not at all familar with the Palm operating systems. I like the look and feel of the Pocket PC plus it runs on the Windows operating system which is nice. Since I'm sure I won't be encountering many "hot spots--kinkos or Starbucks) to pick up wlan where I am traveling I suppose I will need to do the cable option--how exactly does that work? I actually hook the PDA up to a land line phone in a motel? I don't think bluetooth is an option since I don't want to spend $300 on a blue tooth phone. Plus, I've decided to go with Verizon as my cell phone carrier since they have the best coverage but they don't make a bluetooth phone. I suppose I could go with At&T? As you can tell I am a bit of a tech novice.

Have you actually used your equipment on a tour yet or are you preparing like me?

We've been looking at this for our multi-year cycling tour.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=NleZc_4vfYCZcb6eFCSTeLEg5eaxQ021rTM=?ProductSKU=PCGTR3A&Dept=wls&CategoryName=wls_vaiowireless


The Sony is beautiful and the perfect travel computer in my eyes except a little outside of my price range :( I've heard great things about it though.

thanks for the advice! I checked out the T3 and it looks good except I think I'd like a little bit more screen...

You did notice that part of the T3's screen is hidden under a sliding cover?


...it runs on the Windows operating system which is nice.

I beg to differ. Window$ is a foul demon, especially when compared to PalmOS. Vade retro. But it's your money, so use whatever OS feels good for you.

Re: cable. I use it just to replace Bluetooth / infrared when connecting to my cell phone, which then acts like a modem. You could use (another kind of) cable in hotels as well, but then you would have to reconfigure the dial-up connection for each place as you go, accounting for different area codes, switchboard arrangements and what not.

I cannot comment on AT&T vs. Verizon, as we don't have them here. Our phones and service plans are sold separately, so you can pick up any handset that suits you and buy the service plan from another shop, if you like. Consequently the handsets are never locked to a particular SIM card or service, so you can have multiple service plans and switch between them.

I have used a Palm V with the foldable keyboard on previous trips to log in my diary. No pictures, also no need to send / upload material during the trip. The combination does not require much table space when typing, folds away for easy storage and works very well. I seem to remember reading somewhere in the Net about a guy who rigged his Palm with a sensor in the front wheel, main unit in the handlebars, and used it to log speed / distance through the entire trip, in addition to typing his diary in the evenings. I don't remember what he did with batteries... maybe solar cells / hub dynamo to keep the thing charged up?

--J

Personally speaking, my PDA of choice is the new Sharp Zaurus series. I have the SL-5500 but will probably be moving to the SL-6000 soon. This PDA is really meant as a laptop replacement. It has its own built-in keyboard in addition to customizable handwriting recognition but it's a little tough to type out full documents with. Most people who want to do that carry an IR foldable keyboard. It has a fairly nice 4" display which can do 640x480@16bpp (65535 colours). It has built-in 802.11b and Bluetooth can be added either into its SD or CF slots (it has both slots). These slots can also be used to accept memory cards (also to expand its 128MB of internal memory) from cameras so you can transfer images or if your camera has a USB connection, the Zaurus can also act as a USB host meaning you can actually connect the camera to it and transfer images that way. I believe it is one of the few if not only PDAs that has USB host capability. You can also use get a CDPD or GSM/GPRS module for it or just have it interface through either its IRda or a Bluetooth connection to your mobile phone to get wireless access. If you're near an 802.11b hotspot, you can just use that too.

The interface is neither PocketPC nor PalmOS (though it can run a PalmOS emulator interface) but rather Qtopia which runs on top of embedded Linux (Embedix). There are also several alternative interface/OS images such as OpenZaurus available through the opensource community too. Almost all opensource software designed for unix/linux will compile or can be ported to it (many already have) and there's already a whole slew of commercially available software for it. It ships with an office suite that is the equivalent of Microsoft Office called Hancom Office that can import and export to MS-Office. It has a built-in JavaVM too so it can run all cross-platform Java apps as well.

And the coup de gras... it's been partially ruggedised and designed to withstand drops from heights of 3 feet onto hard concrete.

thanks for the advice! I checked out the T3 and it looks good except I think I'd like a little bit more screen plus I'm not at all familar with the Palm operating systems. I like the look and feel of the Pocket PC plus it runs on the Windows operating system which is nice. Since I'm sure I won't be encountering many "hot spots--kinkos or Starbucks) to pick up wlan where I am traveling I suppose I will need to do the cable option--how exactly does that work? I actually hook the PDA up to a land line phone in a motel? I don't think bluetooth is an option since I don't want to spend $300 on a blue tooth phone. Plus, I've decided to go with Verizon as my cell phone carrier since they have the best coverage but they don't make a bluetooth phone. I suppose I could go with At&T? As you can tell I am a bit of a tech novice.

Have you actually used your equipment on a tour yet or are you preparing like me?

I have used a Palm unit on a week long tour before with foldable keyboard. Palm units are superior to Windows based units when it comes to simplicity and especially battery life. Once again, I will encourage you to look at the Handspring Treo phones, (I posted the link above) If your looking at both a handheld, and a phone, you should consider the Treo! Its both a phone and palm unit, very capable of sending text. I am not sure that there is a foldable keyboard option for the treo though. And it doesn't have the ability to upload pictures to the unit from your camera. That said, to be able to easily edit web pages, insert pictures, etc, strongly consider a lightweight laptop, and the sharp that Khoun speaks of above sounds like a very good solution. ( I will check that one out Khoun) You might be lighter with a palm/cell phone, but not near as capable as with a laptop.

Since you are sponsored, is there a chance you could get support back home? Someone suggested you carry memory sticks and voice record your journal . . . This might be the lightest weight solution, and one I had never thought about. If your sponsor has a web site, I would bet they would jump all over the opportunity to post pages on your journey . . .

I have used a Palm unit on a week long tour before with foldable keyboard. Palm units are superior to Windows based units when it comes to simplicity and especially battery life. Once again, I will encourage you to look at the Handspring Treo phones, (I posted the link above) If your looking at both a handheld, and a phone, you should consider the Treo! Its both a phone and palm unit, very capable of sending text. I am not sure that there is a foldable keyboard option for the treo though. And it doesn't have the ability to upload pictures to the unit from your camera. That said, to be able to easily edit web pages, insert pictures, etc, strongly consider a lightweight laptop, and the sharp that Khoun speaks of above sounds like a very good solution. ( I will check that one out Khoun) You might be lighter with a palm/cell phone, but not near as capable as with a laptop.

Since you are sponsored, is there a chance you could get support back home? Someone suggested you carry memory sticks and voice record your journal . . . This might be the lightest weight solution, and one I had never thought about. If your sponsor has a web site, I would bet they would jump all over the opportunity to post pages on your journey . . .


I will certainly check out the Handspring Treo phone. I'm pretty sure, however, that I don't want a Palm/Phone in one because I know I won't want to tote that arround when I am back from my ride. Everything I buy now, I'd like to make it is as practical as possible for use when I get back. As far as a light weight laptop, I don't think my wallet can handle that--just based on my research the past 3 days,the light ones (under 4lbs) start at 1300 or so--and that's without all the add ons.

I tried out the HP Pocket PC 4155 at the store and liked it alot. Ultra light, big enough screen, and it gets great reviews. Even if Palm is suppior to Windows operating system, I suppose Windows just seems more familiar to me--call me crazy. I will let everybody know how it handles--I am doing a practice ride from D.C to New York this weekend and will give it a whirl.

Regarding the memory stick idea--I love to write and am looking forward to documenting my adventures--that's very important to me.

This doesn't address the photo aspect of what you're looking to do necessairly, but I've use an Alphasmart Dana Wireless [link (http://www.alphasmart.com)] for all of my bike tours. It's a Palm OS device with a keyboard built in. It doesn't have a color screen, which saves on battery life and it has dual SD cards for backing up, or saving entries.

I use mine on the road for writing my travelogue of whatever trip I'm taking. However, if I happen into a town with a wireless HotSpot and I just as easily check my e-mail, post to my weblog, or browse the web.

It has rechargeable batteries, or you can use AA batteries just as easily. I get at least two weeks of battery life depending on backlight and Wi-Fi use. One of the other cool features is that a simple USB cable can charge the device should you find yourself next to a computer, like in a HotSpot. I found that my regular Palm OS devices would drain really fast once I began using the portable keyboards with them. This was mostly on newer devices with the Universal Connector, but having your battery life drop to just a few hours just wasn't cutting it with me. Having two weeks of use between charges with the Dana was just the ticket.

My favorite feature though, has to be the "Send" option. I can pull into an Internet Cafe, attach my AlphaSmart up to a computer with the USB cable and it now becomes a USB keyboard. Why is this cool? Well, because if I hit the "Send" key, it will then send whatever entry I have loaded to the PC. I've done this in Windows, Mac and Linux and it works like a champ. I simply open a word processor app like MS Word, send the text and then spell check and edit to my hearts content. It couldnt' be easier.

Lastly, since there's no hard drive, the AlphaSmart can take a lot of punishment, which is a good thing when you're travelling.


If you had a digital camera that used SD for storing photos, you could then transfer those images via the Dana, however you'd be somewhat limited to only sending when you were near a HotSpot. That may not be what you're looking for.

Anyway, hope that helps!