Copyright © 2000 by Michael
Segers, All rights reserved
When
I graduated from our own Worth County High School more years ago than I care to
think about, I probably had had more experience with a computer than anyone else
in my class: I had actually seen one. On a visit to the University of Georgia
with a group of other students, I had stood in awe before a huge machine which,
as I remember, rumbled and groaned, before printing out a rough caricature of a
bulldog (natch!). We all ooh-ed and ah-ed and applauded, and at that moment, I
guess, I got on my way to becoming an Internet columnist.
Some
years later, I became one of the first three or four people in Worth County to
own a computer, in my case a charming machine by Radio Shack known as the Color
Computer, known to me as CoCo, a computer which had a distinct personality. A
few months ago, I found a "CoCo" in a bin at a Salvation Army store
(now you know the secret of my timeless, classic wardrobe) marked fifty cents.
Progress is a cruel mistress—or mister.
I
have been getting along quite nicely of late with a desktop computer, which
actually sits on the floor by my desk along a wall in the living room. This
computer has sprouted, besides the inevitable monitor, a printer, speakers, a
scanner, a microphone, and earphones. I spend many happy hours there, with a cat
in my lap, a parrot on my shoulder, and a mouse in my hand, trying to sort out
some strange new proverb: A bird on the shoulder is worth a mouse in the hand?
This
past week, I became a two-computer family, bringing a laptop computer into the
cyber-household. It amazes me to think that this little box probably contains
more power, potential, and versatility than that bulldog-printing monstrosity at
the University of Georgia did so many years ago. At least, it contains more than
my big old desktop (or desk-side) computer. I wish I could say that this was my
virginal column written on the new machine, but that would not be true. My latest film review,
of Chicken
Run,
claims
that honor, and if you have
not seen that film yet, I have to ask, why are you wasting time online reading
my columns when you should be in line waiting for a ticket for that pullet
surprise?
I
wonder what differences the freedom of this laptop will make in my writing. But,
for now, I’ll try to transcend my personal concerns and offer you some
reflections on what I imagine one should think about when traveling with a
laptop. As with so many other concerns about computers and the Internet, it
seems to me that nothing is better than a little bit of not-so-common common
sense. If you are going to be carrying your computer through crowded airports,
then keep an eye on it. If you are going to leave it in your car, then keep the
car locked. Buy a cable with a lock to use in hotel rooms.
I
could spend a lot of money on a computer case, but it seems that that would just
advertise the fact that I am carrying a very expensive piece of equipment. Why
not try a backpack (some of which are especially made for laptops)? I’m opting
for a battered but sturdy briefcase I picked up some years ago at—oh, well,
let’s say, one of my favorite stores, where an already battered briefcase can
be found.
Since
I have not traveled with my laptop yet, I am guessing that I would want to
bookmark the manufacturer’s web site, in case I needed repairs, and in case I
needed repairs seriously, I would write down that URL if my computer were beyond
bookmarks.
I
thought that this topic would give me plenty to write about, but I found
answers to any question about traveling with a laptop that I could come up with,
and I suspect, so can you.
To
accompany that site, here is one that offers good coverage and links for
products and sales.
The
truth is that at this time in my life, I’m not all that interested in
traveling. It is a pleasure for me to spend a few hours on my back porch,
inevitably with the cat in my lap and the parrot on my shoulder (but with a
strange new pointing device on the laptop taking the place of the mouse),
writing my columns. Now, for folks
who are serious about traveling, whether or not they have their laptops with
them, here are some Internet travel resources I’ve compiled for you. First,
here are the three-letter airport codes.
The
CIA World Factbook warns you about places where your mother wouldn’t want you
to rove, as well as places where you safely can. Find
the distance between two safe places.
Locate the
embassies in the Washington, DC area.
And, don’t worry if you don’t speak the language. Here is a site that will translate for you; whether you drink the water is your own choice. Get ready for your own roves and raves, wherever you rove, by checking the weather for any city, state, zip code, or country.
Keep
your feet dry, your heart full of noble thoughts, and your laptop safe as you
rove and rave through cyber-space and any other space.