Hello all!! Taken into account todays newest technology, the type of tour and location (US) is it more economical and feasible to use a smart phone on tour for GPS, telephone, occasional internet access (Journal updates on CGOAB)??? OR is better to use a basic phone for emergencies, and carry a micro computer to use with the occasional wifi??

With that in mind, which solar charger do you pack into your pannier for economy and capability?

Thanks

Taking an iPhone as my example (Android and Palm Pres will be similar): this will cost you $200 for the phone, plus contract; the contract will cost you $70/mo for 24 months. Total cost: $1880.

A netbook can be had for about $200. Let's be generous and call it $300. If you're planning on having a cellphone anyhow, assume that you get a freebie dumbphone on a 24-month contract costing $40/mo. Total cost: $1260.

Obviously there are prepaid cellphones, which would be cheaper still, if you really want to chisel away at the price. Also obviously, there are pros and cons to each approach.

If you think you'd want to have the smartphone for the time when you're not touring, you can amortize that $620 difference out over 24 months instead of over the length of your tour, so you'd be at a penalty of $26 for a monthlong tour.

I'm not sure you'd want to carry a microcomputer on your bike

Smartphone is not a good idea for use as your primary GPS for many reasons that were mentioned in several threads on this forum: short battery life, delicate, not waterproof, inadequate software, difficult to operate with gloved hands, require proximity to cell towers for best accuracy (assisted GPS). Get a real, rugged GPS receiver, a cellphone is most comfortable stashed away in a cozy case, preferably waterproof

Solar chargers were discussed here.

As far as carrying a computer it's up to you. Some people carry laptops, some don't and use libraries for internet access, some are strongly against the idea as they like to leave the tech behind them. I'd take a netbook along. They're lighter than a regular laptop.

It's really up to you: how much technology and connectivity you need/want and how much you're willing to carry.

Adam

Last year we bought the Asus eee901 and took it with us on a short tour. I can say its been very helpfull. I installed some software to help out like Microsoft Map Point Europe 2009, front page, and a few others so I could work on our webpage and upload when I get a chance.
Also worked out well for weather forecasts (when online). We even watched a movie one rainy night
On our 2010 tour we are going to try Skype, (family would like to stay in touch) we'll see how that goes, maybe once a week on our rest day.
We also carry a mobile phone but have let everyone know that we only have it on for a couple of hours a day, say between 7 and 9 at night (in case of emergency).
As for navigation during the day, we just carry paper maps and a compass.

I have a small Toshiba NB205 netbook that runs 9h on batteries. You can squeeze more if you dim the screen more and turn WiFi off. So if you use it "off line" just for a bit each day to update the journal, to take notes, to save photos from a camera, etc. it'll easy last a whole week if not more.

Adam

What do you want to be able to do with a computer? Or smartphone?

When I rode down the Pacific coast last summer, I took my iPhone and my Garmin Edge 705 GPS receiver and left the laptop at home. iPhone is great for posting to Twitter, reading e-mail, and sending short replies. The iPhone's Maps application makes it pretty easy to search for and navigate to local businesses. Browsing websites, like BikeForums.net, is more problematic due to the limited screen size. Writing a travelogue, at least for me, was out of the question; I just don't have the patience to do that much typing with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard. Battery life may also be a limitation. My iPhone lasts about a day, maybe a tad longer, between recharges.

I, personally, wouldn't rely on either a computer or a smartphone for GPS. If you want GPS, I'd suggest buying a dedicated GPS receiver.