Laptop Travel Lifestyle

This has become my 'tool of the trade' for 2007. I purchased the computer November 2006.

Mac and I got off to a very rocky start. Within three weeks the computer broke down with a defective hard drive. I was puzzled that the computer had a scratch on it when I purchased it and was given $30.00 off for the blemish. When I took the computer in on warranty I discovered that this was the second time the hard drive had failed on that machine. I had purchased a 'repack' that had been returned on warranty prior to my purchase. I was upset for not having been told I'd purchased a used computer and to make good the store gave me a new one off the shelf as a replacement.

Six weeks later the new computer died. I took it back in. This time they sent it across Canada for warranty repairs. It was gone for nearly eight weeks. When it finally returned I discovered the hard drive had failed and the logic board had suffered a meltdown.

Three hard drives and one logic board failure behind me; what do I think of the new Core 2 MacBook? It's great! It's a relatively quick performer, faster than my previous Acer Ferrari gaming/graphics machine. I switched to Mac because of the new Intel processor and Parallels. Parallels Desktop enables me to run Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux as well as Mac OSX Tiger... all at the same time, if I like, but that's slow. It needed a RAM upgrade from 1GB to 2GB to make the MacBook perform well enough for the demands of two operating systems at once.

Two of my streams of income are web design and blogging. I like having all major platforms readily available for testing my websites and those of clients. Plus I'm able to use all my old Windows XP software. Way to go Apple, making the move to Intel!!!

I carry an external firewire drive along, for backups, but the 120GB internal drive's increased storage is welcome. I also went with .Mac for a year. I backup all of my data to the external hard drive automatically every night with .Mac's Backup.

MacBook Closeout Deals - Prices start at $999 while supplies last!

It's a happy day for me!

After more than ten years as a hardcore PC advocate, I finally 'converted' and bought two Macs at the end of 2006. When Apple went with Intel chips it opened up new opportunities. Running Parallels Desktop, I am able to run Windows XP at the same time as OS X Tiger. I can use all my old XP software. I love my iPod for listening to music and training seminars, and I now enjoy tracking my runs with Nike+ iPod. So you might say I've become a fan of products from Cupertino.

So what's the big news? After being rejected previously (blog too small and too little traffic... still assessing emotional damage from rejection) I was accepted today and I can now offer the Apple Store through Laptop Travel Lifestyle to all of our readers. Thanks to everyone for visiting this site and bringing my traffic figures up high enough so Apple gave me the nod. You rock!

Check out the New Apple Store

We're just hammering out the details, but it looks like I'll have Lenovo ThinkPads in the Laptop Deals section pretty soon... fingers crossed.

Tightened security in the UK and other countries has caused some airlines to put a ban on electronic gadgets like laptops, iPods and cell phones on board.

Laptops, in some cases, have been added to the items banned from entering the plane, apearing on the same list as liquids and lotions on the Transportation Security Administration's list.

I think anybody who takes a laptop and puts it into a conventional suitcase is out of their mind. They aren't made for the kind of abuse airline attendants and in flight compression can dish out. While tough luggage like my Halliburton Zero case would likely protect the computer, I can only imagine what a dented piece of scrap aluminum would emerge in the carousel on the other end.

A possible solution may be the rugged laptops designed to withstand intense physical demands such as drops, shocks, spills and extreme temperatures. Anyone had any luck with checking in your ToughBook or Itronix? Even if you've got the Hummer equivalent in a notebook computer, another concern is loss and theft of the data stored on a corporate laptop.

If you're carrying highly confidential data, you should use encryption and other mechanisms to secure the data in case the notebook is stolen or falls into the wrong hands. You are more likely to lose data from a damaged hard drive than have the data stolen, so backup should actually be your first consideration before you check a laptop as baggage.

Make sure to check with your airline before booking a flight to make sure you can bring your laptop and other electronics on board.

Heightened Security In the UK Means No Laptops, Cellphones and iPods On Board [Gizmodo]
'Mass murder terror plot' uncovered [Guardian]
Local Travelers React To Terrorist Plot [WKTR]