• by Naomi , March 4, 2007

One thing I regret not bringing on this World Tour is a laptop. Of the 36 students and professors on the trip, about half of us brought laptops. I’m not necessarily struggling without it, but life would be a lot easier if I had it. There are several reasons why I decided to bring it along. First and foremost, it is heavy. When you’re backpacking (literally – I have one backpack) around the world for four months, lugging around your wide-screen, 13-pound laptop doesn’t sound like a great idea. Another reason was that it is no longer under warranty. I got it two and a half years ago, and I’m hoping to make it last another year and a half until I graduate. The last reason I decided not to bring it was because I was advised not to by participants of the last World Tour in 2004. My friend said he regretted bringing it because it was heavy and he didn’t use it for much except downloading pictures off his camera. But so far on our trip, we’ve found wireless internet (usually at a steep price) at most hotels, airports, and several restaurants and cafes. I think this is indicative of how much the world has changed in just the past few years. Whereas three years ago, it was rare to find wireless, now it is quite common worldwide. Those with laptops even got wireless in Cambodia; it was slow, but it was Cambodia!

As I plan on traveling a lot more in the future, the next laptop I buy will be small and light. Most likely, I’ll switch from a PC to a Mac. I’m happy with my PC, but it seems like the Macs run better more consistently. My friends with Macs seem to be absolutely convinced that they are the better choice – especially for someone like me in the design field. And I have to admit, the cool extra features that the Macs come with are attractive. I’ll probably have a little laptop and a desktop with a big screen for more serious design work. I don’t plan on buying a wides-screen laptop again!