ProjectZero
Member
Registered: May 2000
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Posts: 209 |
 Now that I've had a time to reflect...
...well done article!
I guess I'm fortunate enough to be in a business environment that does not require me to have computing power and internet connectivity while on the road. Nor do I want to (hey! I'd rather sleep on the train and plane!). On pleasure trips, my Visor only serves as an address book and planner servant. It's amazingly blissful these days not being on a virtual leash or entirely dependent on a piece of technology 
I'd like to add a few more nuggets from when my times required me to have the gear during travels:
Re: Retractable phone cord
If you're cramped for packing space, an alternative to the credit card size retractable unit is the smaller, self-retracting, circular or s-shape spool. It usually contains about 8 to 12 ft of phone cord. The credit card form factor of the one Alan mention is small, but if you want to maximize space, the spool is it. It can be found at most office warehouses.
Packing Space
I know discussing carrying cases can get into levels of religous proportions. Instead of recommending a case, for this topic's discussion, here's one tip I've used that might enhance your current survival travels:
* Baggies/plastic sandwich bags.
Perhaps the next best thing to Sliced Bread. Useful to _keep your Visor accessories_ together in your Visor case/bag/slipper. Stuff like cords, batteries, Springboard modules. Oh sure, there are many cases out there with nifty pockets, nooks and crannies to hold that kind of stuff but if your case de jour doesn't, a sandwich bag comes in handy.
Not to mention if you get one of those Ziploc types that keeps moisture out, it'll save your Visor and accessories from an inadvertant splash.
One sub-tip here: For the spare batteries, tape the AAA pair side-by-side, then place it into the bag, and then wrap the content with loose ends of the bag. That'll help prevent an inadvertant short of the batteries.
Re: Surge Protection
If your Visor doesn't require AC, instead of carrying a combination AC/phone surge protection (and that Curtis unit is indeed small), carry this even smaller device: A phone cable-only line tester with surge protection. You might want to carry this even if you do have a combo AC/phone surge protection unit.
If you remember the early days of PCMCIA modem cards, you probably have blown a few cards (if not, have heard of others doing so) by plugging their modem cord into a digital line. With a good line tester, you can instantly see and protect your devices from the wrong circuit. On a surge protection only device, the protection device _should_ trigger when you plug it into a digital jack, but that's not always a guarantee.
A good, small, surge protecting line tester isn't cheap...figure on at least $50 for that.
Reading light
On a plane? Need some light? The light overhead not bright enough or its beam not focused enough? Then you need a supplemental light source!
A book light makes a great portable light source for a PalmOS device. Most of the decent book lights have a plastic clip or similar to attach itself to the book cover. Instead of the book, it'll clip to your Visor. Even better is one that takes AAA batteries instead of AA. That way, you _don't_ have to carry yet another type of batteries and can use the book light batteries in a pinch.
[Edited by ProjectZero on 02-09-2001 at 06:39 PM]
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02-09-2001 04:21 PM
Nice story!
THIS IS ESSENTIAL!!!!!
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