Week in the Woods: Need to Get My Computer Decision Made
I've been fighting off a fever all week, which has made even dribbling up these small number of posts a chore, leaving the rest of my to-do list a phlegm-pocked inventory of failure. But one thing I have to get figured out soon is what computing device I'm going to take on my week in the woods. Not only do I need to get familiar enough with the machine to be able to work with it, I want to take a short overnight trip to wherever I am going to end up spending the week to make sure I have connectivity, a decent campsite, etc.
There were a few candidate machines that stood out: the Nokia 810, which could work, except I've not been able to find good information about using it with 3G besides over a Bluetooth connection to a phone, which is not exactly the most efficient use of power.
There was also the Asus Eee, which might just do the job, but I'd certainly need at least a second battery to keep in the rotation, as battery life is pretty poor.
I could afford to purchase either of the above, but there is a third option, which is cajoling a laptop manufacturer into letting me take a unit into the woods. I'm talking to Lenovo about taking one of the new solid-state X300 out, which could be nearly perfect. It's light, has good battery life, and can come with built-in 3G. I would happy to test out a Macbook Air, but Apple would never send me one, plus the battery life is poor and I'd have no way to rotate batteries. Fujitsu makes several lightweight laptops with amazing battery life and integrated 3G; I'll hit them up if Lenovo doesn't come through.
By chance, have any of you guys integrated 3G into a Nokia 810? It's sort of the least attractive option to me, because even though it's small and has great battery life, I'll still need an external keyboard to really...you know, forget it. Let's just rule that one out now.
So how about the Eee? It looks like using USB-based 3G cards like the Novatel 727 is possible with a little bit of tweaking. I just hate relying on my slim-to-nonexistent Linux skills when out on a hill for a week.
Maybe I should just start begging these companies for a laptop and promise I'll do my best not to drop it in a fire or throw it at a Sasquatch.
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One other computer idea: HP 2510p
12" ultralight notebook, with SSD and mobile internet options. Has an LED screen, and claimed battery life is 9+ hours w/ the 9 cell. (I think that's before the SSD comes into the picture)
It's a bit thicker/heavier than the x300, especially once you slap the 9-cell on, but not alarmingly so.
one more idea:
HTC Shift:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/19/htc-shift-is-finally-coming-to-the-us-on-the-24th-with-sprint-3g/
Most people go camping to get away from the world. Why not just enjoy the nature? The only tech to bring is a good DSLR.
My .02
N810 would probably work but be squinty and a little finicky. If you were mostly writing, you could probably compose on the N810, get a cheap bt keyboard, and then briefly tether it you your phone or swap the memory card. I have not visited the forums in a while, the best place to learn what you could do with the N810: http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/
Batteries are standard Nokia so you could bring a ton. I don't think you can attached a 3G modem...
The EEE seems like a good fallback option, I guess it depends how many hours a day you are planning on being online vs foraging for food/fighting grizzles. That Lenovo looks pimp though...
Why not an OLPC? You would not have to keep recharging batteries, at least.
That HP could do the trick. Thanks for the suggestion, Blitzoid. I'll look into it. I considered the HTC shift, but the battery life is apparently crap.
I should ask my PR contacts at Nokia what the story is on the 810 and mobile connections. Maybe they have something up their sleeves. I haven't checked in with them since we started BBG anyway.
I don't know about the Sony VAIO TZ but my TXN15 consistently gave me at least 6 to 8 hours of usage with wifi on. They come with Sprint EVDO modems built in with a free trial.
From my understanding the Sony TX is the choice for all those video "life-casting" bloggers since it sips battery juice very slowly.
Only downside is you'd have to live with Windows for a week.
Re the N8x0. You may want to think about bringing one of these some more.
http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16681&postcount=20
Call Toshiba and see if they'll lend you an R500. It's got a dual mode LED/transflective LCD screen (12") which will let you stretch the battery life to 7-8+ hrs during daylight because it'll use the ambient light instead of the biggest battery drain on most laptops, the screen backlight. It's available with SSD/mobile broadband so that should keep you from needing a second communications device.
Also, if you get them to lend you one, email me, through a fluke I've got an unused new R500 battery that I could lend you for use on your trip.
Also, the first submission of my comment failed the first time around and logged me out, wtf?
A wimax N-series tablet has been widely rumored from Nokia coming in the very near future. I don't know WiMax would work for you but that could be a good option.
Nokia could definitely do a better job marketing their internet tablets. My n770 is a pretty amazing little machine for the price and their newer operating systems work on previous gen devices (similar to how MS supports older Zunes) - a nice direction.
There are some neat blogger tools for the tablets, like WordPy - http://maemo-wordpy.garage.maemo.org/ - doesn't help you but their is a neat little community of developers
I have my N800 hooked up to an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. Great combo.
Sam Glover is probably right, the OLPC is probably the best choice here.
Is 3G even an option in the woods? I think you'd be lucky just to have reception.
Solar charger is a good idea, but I would consider the "Xantrex XPower Pocket Powerpack 100" (30000 mAh of power) in case its cloudy.
The N800 is anemic.
Go with the U810 you panned. Good battery life and you have a flashlight built in.
It's the fucking future.
Would it be completely insane to pack some lightweight AA-powered greyscale-screen Z80-CPU device for text input, so you could keep your main laptop powered down when you're just writing stuff?
If you need proper Internet access all the time then this idea fails, but if you can see yourself just writing for an hour or two with no need to check a Web site or e-mail, and if you can easily move what you'd written from the lightweight device to the real computer, then this could definitely solve some problems.
There are several old AA-powered notebook machines with decent keyboards that can only hook up to a modern computer via a serial cable (Amstrad NC 100, TRS-80 Model 100/200, Apple eMate 300, old AAA-powered Palms plus an add-on keyboard), but there are also modern versions with USB and/or WiFi connectivity. AlphaSmart are the biggest brand today, I think.
I'd get the moleskine with the lead stylus.
It's only a week.
Kind of with #13 here. What about a palm IIIxe it takes AAA batteries and a nokia 5110, an old school mobi' with a great battery life and spare batteries easily available. There is a cable you can use to link the 2 together to get online. Plus there was a Portable keyboard available for the IIIxe.
Otherwise I'd start making a list of what tasks you want to carry out whilst in the wilds. Focusing on these may give you some idea of the tech' that would be suitable.
Maybe take a lower spec'/more primative machine and do stuff online with Google Docs, or online photo editing app's. (http://tinyurl.com/29eh9s)
"which for means I'll need a computer with a decent keyboard, a web browser with connectivity, an RSS reader and a way to format and upload images."
Sorry I should have re-read the other post before commenting.
get an external antenna for your communication devices. better reception == less power consumption and more reliable service in the woods.
I run a business on the internet and I love camping.
For me to "get away" for a week or two really isn't going to happen unless I have some sort of internet access.
Now I do LOVE nature and the outdoors, I also like having my business under control. For me it's easier to work for an hour or two a day while camping, than it is to let the work pile up and potential problems that will cut profits occur while I am away.
I have a dream of one day working 2-4 hours a day while spending the rest outdoors enjoying nature. I think we can combine technology and nature in a non-destructive way.