Hi!
I'm busy planning a RTW trip with my boyfriend to start in July and with the launch of the new iPad fast approaching i can't decide whether this would be a useful addition to my backpack for info / entertainment / communication etc or just make me a walking target?!
Personally, I wouldn't want an iPad with me when travelling. Having said that, I wouldn't buy an iPad at all considering what a rip off they are (Apple? Rip off? Never!!).
When I go travelling I'll have my Kindle with me to keep me sane on flights, and that's about it. My phone (HTC Desire) can do everything else (e-mails/web browsing) whenever Wi-Fi is available.
Each to their own I guess, but I'd rather spend the £500-700 doing stuff while away.
I´d rather get a smartphone/iPod touch. Smaller and cheaper. I use skype/viber/whatsapp on my iPone for communication when wifi is available. For reading I would just bring a book. A lot of places I´ve stayed have a "library" of books where other travellers have left their books and you can just leave the book(if done reading it) and grab a new one from the "library".
thank you! - sounds like a kindle & iPod touch might be the best way to go then
my parents went to Italy for a couple weeks this summer, and they found their iPad really useful for getting the numbers of hotels, directions when they got lost in Rome's crazy streets, etc. But for your purposes, I think it'd be more of a tourist indicator than a help, since south america is known for thefts - my parents had a cell phone taken right from the bag on my dad's back as they walked down the street. But then again, its really helpful in those areas because obviously Wifi isnt going to be avaliable in most places, and its many many many apps can help in every area, even language difficulties.
I travel with mine instead of a laptop. Use it daily - mainly for journaling with a roll up keyboard. Figure it's cheaper than losing/breaking a lightweight laptop if something happens to it, and much easier to deal with than just a smartphone.
But IF you are of the type who wouldn't consider carrying a laptop in the first place I'd stick with a smartphone.
I travel with mine instead of a laptop. Use it daily - mainly for journaling with a roll up keyboard. Figure it's cheaper than losing/breaking a lightweight laptop if something happens to it, and much easier to deal with than just a smartphone.
But IF you are of the type who wouldn't consider carrying a laptop in the first place I'd stick with a smartphone.
Really? I don't know what prices are like in the US, but here in the UK you can pick up a decent 10" netbook (Toshiba/Acer/Samsung) for about half the price of the cheapest iPad. The netbooks are gong to be higher spec as well (iPad 2 should close the gap), and no need for add-ons such as a keyboard.
Personally, like I said before, I wouldn't want to take anything like that with me (on a holiday maybe, but certainly not RTW travelling).
I have yet to find a netbook that I really like, so for me it's either a full laptop like the Sony Viao or one of the Fujitsu line. So I find the versatility of the ipad works for me. Plus I like having a full sized keyboard. Personally it's my choice since I like the ease, size, bookreader, etc.
Doesn't mean it's for everyone, but I don't hesitate to travel with it.
Fair enough, all down to personal preference as you say. I've played with an iPad and can appreciate it's a cracking bit of kit, I just have no need for one. Having said that, I work in retail and they sell like hot cakes, so the demand is definitely there.
I think you would be better off with a low cost Netbook. The Netbook can do things the Ipod can not. They are very cheap now days; in the US I bought an Asus Netbook for $249. It is easy to transfer data from your present computer to a Netbook.
For a cell phone - well around the world not all cell phone service is the same. I know you can get by in Asia with a cheap Nokia cell phone. For some countries just change the sim card. In the US you can get a cell phone in some places for as little as $10 to $20 if necessary. You could get a cheap cell phone if you think you will NEED to actually talk to someone back home frequently.
You can also use your Netbook with Skype if you think you NEED to actually talk to someone!
If you want to take photos use a real digital camera not a fancy cell phone! You can download the photos to your Netbook if you want. Some hotels have free wifi for their customers and some do not. In many countries you can also use a cheap internet shop for emails. (Thailand has many cheap internet shops.) You can use your computer for privacy or use their computers.
A long RTW trip with only you and your boyfriend will cement your relationship forever or you could end up hating each other!
Up to you.
[ 14-Feb-2011, at 06:30 by karazyal ]
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