dfinkel@oak.wpi.edu (David Finkel) (05/02/91)
I've just bought a laptop, and I can't quite figure out what to do when I want to travel with it. Any suggestions, experiences very much appreciated. (If this has already been discussed a gazillion time in this group, I apologize for repeating the question. Perhaps some kind soul can send me a file with the answers.) 1. What do I do about airport security? Will the security folks be willing to hand inspect it? I presume the X-rays will be real bad for the disk. Will there be a security problem bringing the laptop on the plane at all? 2. If I bring the laptop as carry-on luggage, can I also bring an additional carry-on bag, or will that use up my carry-on allowance? 3. What do you do with it in my hotel? I'm certainly not going to carry it with me at all times, but I'm a little nervous about leaving something so expensive in my hotel room. 4. It has a built-in modem, but the line for the modem has a modular phone plug. I've never actually checked, but I'd guess that most hotel rooms have their phone wired-in. Suggestions for connecting the modem? Thanks very much. -- David Finkel Department of Computer Science Internet: dfinkel@cs.wpi.edu Worcester Polytechnic Institute Telephone: (508) 831-5416 Worcester, MA 01609 USA FAX: (508) 831-57766
faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin) (05/02/91)
In article <1991May1.224944.13424@wpi.WPI.EDU>, dfinkel@oak.wpi.edu (David Finkel) writes: > 1. What do I do about airport security? I typically just run in through the X-rays. The surveys I have seen state that this should cause no damge to the laptop. > Will the security folks be willing to hand inspect it? Usually. In fact, even if you run in though, you should be prepared to remove it from its case (so they can run the case through) and boot up the machine. Its bad form to travel with a dead battery. > I presume the X-rays will be real bad for the disk. Actually, they are not the problem. It is the magnetic fields around the motors of the belt that pulls the material through the scanner. In newer equipment, these motors are suitably shielded. > Will there be a security problem bringing the laptop on the plane at all? Not as long as it fits under your seat or in the the overhead bin. > 2. If I bring the laptop as carry-on luggage, can I also bring an > additional carry-on bag, or will that use up my carry-on allowance? It counts as one of your two bags that you are allowed to carry on in domestic flights. > 3. What do you do with it in my hotel? I'm certainly not going to > carry it with me at all times, but I'm a little nervous about leaving > something so expensive in my hotel room. I usually leave mine in my hotel room. In all my traveling, I've never had any trouble with theft. Of course, this is business travel, which means I'm in the nicer hotels. If your in a dump, I wouldn't leave it. (In fact, I'm typing this from my hotel room right now). > 4. It has a built-in modem, but the line for the modem has a modular phone > plug. I've never actually checked, but I'd guess that most hotel rooms have > their phone wired-in. Suggestions for connecting the modem? Go to Radio Schmuck and pick up (in addition to your RJ11C - RJ11C cord) a cord that connects an RJ11C cord to either four wire lugs or four alligator clips. Then, remember to bring your screwdriver. I also find it useful to travel with a grounded octapus plug incase the plug near the desk is completely in use. You also might want extension cords, both of the phone and electrical variety. Daniel -- [W]:The Aerospace Corp. M1/055 * POB 92957 * LA, CA 90009-2957 * 213/336-8228 [Email]:faigin@aerospace.aero.org [Vmail]:213/336-5454 Box#3149 "A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually" -- Abba Eban
strange@hercules.acpub.duke.edu (Michael B. Scher) (05/02/91)
In article <1991May1.224944.13424@wpi.WPI.EDU> dfinkel@oak.wpi.edu (David Finkel) writes: >I've just bought a laptop, and I can't quite figure out what to do >when I want to travel with it. Any suggestions, experiences very >1. What do I do about airport security? Will the security folks be willing >to hand inspect it? I presume the X-rays will be real bad for the disk. >Will there be a security problem bringing the laptop on the plane at all? Airport security will almost always hand check with no problems. Make VERY SURE you have power in the battery of the computer or that it's ready to run on AC -- they require you show it works. Actually, the disks (and hard drive) are not likely to be injured by x-ray, which has little effect at all onn electronic media. The HUGE magnetic field generated by an x-ray machine, however, could toast some data. I usually worry more about the metal-detector gates which generate a radio pulse that could screw up magnetic information. X-ray is actually only a risk to the chips, and a slight one at that; Still, most manufacturers recommend hand-checking. >2. If I bring the laptop as carry-on luggage, can I also bring an >additional carry-on bag, or will that use up my carry-on allowance? Most airlines allow two bags, so ling as one can get under your seat & the other overhead. Call ahead. One solution is to get a large carry bag that can hold your laptop and your extras. >3. What do you do with it in my hotel? I'm certainly not going to >carry it with me at all times, but I'm a little nervous about leaving >something so expensive in my hotel room. You can ask the desk clerk to lock it up in most hotels; failing that, if you don't mind the peculiarity, you can chain-lock the computer bag with a bicycle chain-lock to the bar in the closet. If you're very nervous, you can slap an adhesive-backed desktop-lock-up loop to the laptop (the top of it) & use that to secure the machine, again with a chain lock. I generally go the desk clerk route -- if they can lock up jewels, they should be able to control themselves around a PC. >4. It has a built-in modem, but the line for the modem has a modular >phone plug. I've never actually checked, but I'd guess that most hotel >rooms have their phone wired-in. Suggestions for connecting the >modem? There's a kit out called a "road warrior" kit; it's horribly overpriced, but includes the basics for hooking up ANYWHERE. I recommend getting a "black jack" (can't recall any co. names) -- it's a pair of couplers designed to fit over a phones mouth and ear pieces, with a modular jack in back. It lets you use almost any phone so long as it's not funny-shaped. One OTHER thing to be aware of is non-standard dialing in a hotel -- you may have to manually dial the call, and have the computer listen in. Thus, you might need to learn the computer's "look for carrier" (NOT ATA) command. Some modems will do it with just a dial command sans number (e.g., ATD), while others require another command entirely. -- Mike Scher strange@hercules.acpub.duke.edu Duke University -- Durham, NC: Law and Cultural Anthropology This post expressly not for use as toilet tissue. (c) 1991 - All lefts deserved.
brian@king.csd.mot.com (05/02/91)
dfinkel@oak.wpi.edu (David Finkel) writes: >I've just bought a laptop, and I can't quite figure out what to do >when I want to travel with it. Any suggestions, experiences very >much appreciated. (If this has already been discussed a gazillion >time in this group, I apologize for repeating the question. Perhaps >some kind soul can send me a file with the answers.) >1. What do I do about airport security? Will the security folks be willing >to hand inspect it? I presume the X-rays will be real bad for the disk. >Will there be a security problem bringing the laptop on the plane at all? They will probably insist on hand-inspecting it. They usually ask me to turn it on, so keep your batteries charged! >2. If I bring the laptop as carry-on luggage, can I also bring an >additional carry-on bag, or will that use up my carry-on allowance? Most airlines allow you to have two items, but you can often get away with more. >3. What do you do with it in my hotel? I'm certainly not going to >carry it with me at all times, but I'm a little nervous about leaving >something so expensive in my hotel room. Ask the desk to keep it in their vault or something like that. >4. It has a built-in modem, but the line for the modem has a modular >phone plug. I've never actually checked, but I'd guess that most hotel >rooms have their phone wired-in. Suggestions for connecting the >modem? Many of them have modular plugs. Some even have a "dataport" in the side of the telephone for this very purpose. Others are not so kind: - Some have modular plugs with the little release lever broken off. Bring along a small screwdriver to deal with that. You can still get the stupid thing out, but it's a pain. - Some are wired-in. Bring a screwdriver or two to remove the wall plate. They should have a junction block behind it. Also bring a phone cord with a modular plug at one end and small alligator clips at the other end so that you can patch it in. - Some are wired-in and there is no way to get to the junction block (like it just goes into a hole in the wall or the wall plate is behind some large piece of furniture). You may be able to tap into the other end of the cord by disassembling the phone. Or, if you're really ambitious, bring a knife and peel back a bit of the outer jacket of the phone cord, and then tap into the individual wires either by stripping a bit of insulation off or mashing the alligator clips through the insulation. It's a bit destructive, but any hotel that is this unfriendly to laptops deserves a bit of civil disobedience :-). -- -Brian Smithson Motorola Inc., Computer Group, Commercial Systems Division 10700 N. De Anza Boulevard, Cupertino, CA 95014 USA, (408)366-4104 brian@csd.mot.com, {apple | pyramid}!motcsd!brian
tohave@hpuxa.acs.ohio-state.edu (Timothy J. O'haver) (05/03/91)
Rather than excerpt the entire posting that I'm replying to (I hate it when people do that!), let me just volunteer some informative comments on laptop travel. People traveling with laptops should allow some extra time to get through security at the airport. Expect to pull your computer out and boot it up (*do* have a battery with some juice left in it!) The xray equipment has had no effect on my disks or other computer equipment. I don't know any airline that makes a special allowance for a laptop computer as an extra piece of carry-on luggage. At times, I've cheated by sticking the computer in my briefcase, but this can be very fatiguing. If your plans call for leaving the computer at the hotel while you're away from your room, check it at the front desk. Some places have lockers for guests. When my hotel reservations are made, the hotel is asked if they provide computer-friendly phone connections. I go out of my way to tell hotels that don't offer suitable connections that I stay somewhere else. The sooner we traveling laptop users deliver this message to the hotel industry, the better! Compliment or complain relentlessly to the hotels about this! Hope the info helps. -- Tim O'Haver tohave@hpuxa.ohio-state.edu
dejong@idca.tds.PHILIPS.nl (Hans de Jong) (05/05/91)
This is what I have to add to the information that is already posted by others. dfinkel@oak.wpi.edu (David Finkel) writes: >1. What do I do about airport security? Will the security folks be willing >to hand inspect it? I presume the X-rays will be real bad for the disk. >Will there be a security problem bringing the laptop on the plane at all? I have never had trouble with X-rays to magnetic disks. I am not really trying it out and normally get my diskettes hand inspected. The harddisk almost always goes through X-ray. In Europe it is nowadays hardly possible to have the PC hand inspected. Be careful with information on RAM disk. I consistently loose information on RAM disk of my T1000 when I put it through X-ray at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm (Sweden).. >4. It has a built-in modem, but the line for the modem has a modular >phone plug. I've never actually checked, but I'd guess that most hotel >rooms have their phone wired-in. Suggestions for connecting the >modem? In USA I can normally connect with an RJ11 cable. Often you need a skrewdriver to get the telephone cable out. Most problems occur to place international calls without operator intervention. In Europe and Japan you can handle most telephones when you have alligator clips attached to the cable. Germany is extrordinarily tough, because the connectors are almost unreacheable. Lately I could get away by having some wire with me that I could attach. You can leave the wire for the next person wanting to use a laptop ... . Be sure to carry the list of Hayes AT commands that your modem supports. (and understand them). You will sometimes need to not wait for dial tone, introduce longer pauses, change make/break ratios for pulse dialing. I guess I have been to some 25 hotels worldwide where I needed to connect my PC to the telephone and almost always succeeded so far. Good luck! automatically