As much as I would like to just sit back and relax on my trip to Florida, when running your own business, doing so is virtually impossible. I will still need to check in on the daily activities of my sites, check stats, check e-mail and update the blog. This is why I have my mobile workstation.
The heart of my mobile workstation is my HP Pavilion tx1119us - 12.1″ Widescreen laptop. I sold my old laptop a few months ago and picked up this one. I wanted something that was smaller and more lightweight and so far, this one has served me well.
Laptop accessories include a wired Logitech optical mouse, Logitech SilentSound Noise Canceling Headphones and a 2GB OCZ flash drive. Using the touchpad mouse on the laptop is fine for brief use, but a “real” mouse is almost a must if you plan to use your laptop for an extended time period. The noise canceling headphones will allow me to listen to music during the trip or in the hotel room without disturbing others. The flash drive is handy for storing e-mail and sponsor contact information.
My Palm Treo 700p is another vital key to my mobile workstation. Using the computer sync cable and a program called PDA Net, I am able to use the phone as a wireless broadband modem for the laptop, which means I can have internet access while on the road, in the hotel room or anywhere I have cell phone reception. I used this during our road trip to CES in January and a few other road trips last year. Having internet access on the road makes time go by so much faster, and also you can be productive and get work done!
The battery on my cell phone tends to die quickly when using the internet, so I will be bringing along my spare battery / USB charger. Oh, and business cards are a must… you don’t want to get caught slippin’! Everything will be stored in my CES laptop bag that I picked up in the press room. The bag is just the right size for the laptop and all of the accessories!
There are a few items missing from my mobile workstation that I will be purchasing or Adam will be bringing. Those include Ethernet cables, a wireless FM transmitter (so we can listen to MP3s through the car stereo) and a power inverter (to power the laptop).
Ok, time to finish packing… my next update should come tonight during the road trip!
