Shopping For A Laptop ForTravel

It's common knowledge that  laptop manufacturers sell laptops with travellers in mind. By travelers I refer to those constantly on the go, be it by air, by bus , car, the beach,, maybe an isolated cave, e.t.c.  Sure, laptops are not meant to leave the house, but the reality is our environment forces us to to be on the move 24/7. We have business deals to seal , appointments to make, presentations to present, e.t.c. And in order to accomplish these, we need to have our laptops with us. They've literally become our companions.

If you happen to be a constant traveller  or some one on the go, here are some essential features to consider when shopping for a laptop For travel.

Durable Battery

A durable battery is absolutely crucial when it comes to travel...You want to make sure your laptop battery lasts as long as your journey whether by air or by road. The hitch here is finding how long the battery lasts. If you're a gaming junkie you're not going to get much out of your laptop battery as you're only going to get 3 hrs out of your battery . But if you run less intrusive software like Microsoft Office, you should get a laptop that can give you 8 hours of battery power..

Display Size 

Display size is also important   as it determines whether you have fun with your laptop on the road or not. Sure a 15.6 inch laptop is popular because it's huge and covers a lot of screen real estate. But there is no way you can fly first class carrying such a huge beast, not to mention a bus or a train.  You'd be better off going with 12.1-13.3 inch laptop instead. It's easier to operate in tight spaces and requires a mall bag to hold them, reducing the size of the carry-on.

Matte Coat Or IPS Display

The type of display on your laptop could also  make or break your laptop experience on your travels. Make sure your display is compliant with your environment be, be it in the air or on the bus. With that in mind, the two types of laptops displays you should consider when shopping for a laptop are matte coat or IPS display. Matte coat display is popular among travellers because it's able to withstand direct sunlight and interior lighting.  More so especially when you're on a plane and facing sunlight.

An IPS display will also come in handy especially when viewing from wide angles. These viewing angles make reading text less stressful especially when standing above or to the side of the laptop. This trait comes in real handy especially when collaborating with co-workers on projects on the road.

Durability

Sadly laptops are not built to last long as they scratch easily and can't prevent damage when it crashes to the ground  since majority of them have the glossy make. But if you want a durable travel laptop, make sure  it has features such as metal display hinges, shock mounted hard drives, and spill-resistant keyboards. Speaking of keyboards:

Quality keyboard

A quality keyboard  makes  for improved productivity and reduced frustration on your travels.  Look for a laptop whose keyboard is almost as wide as the laptop itself to help you meet that pressing deadline.. Also pay attention to the size of alpha-numeric keys such as Backspace and Shift, as they make it easy to skimp around the keyboard.

Ports

Make sure your laptop has at least two USB ports so you can connect to the latest external hard drives and transfer data quickly. Unfortunately many small laptops have only one slot for headphones and microphone jacks. This becomes problematic especially when you want to use your webcam since you have to use both at the same time. If you're the type who does recording on the go, this is something to think about.

Weight

The weight of laptops  vary with the heaviest weighing 4 pounds and the lightest at 2 pounds. As a traveler you'd be better off getting a lighter laptop as it takes little effort to pick up or slide along the surface.  If you think size doesn't matter, but it does, especially when you have to carry your laptop for hours in a day.

Wireless Connectivity

You absolutely must have wireless connectivity if you're on the go. Without WI-FI, how do you expect to connect with the outside world, especially your clients and business associates?  Your laptop must have an in-built WI-FI card with an 802.11n as the standard channel.  You can also buy a laptop with 3G compatibility especially when WI-FI is unavailable. This will help you connect to your mobile data plan and use it while on the go.

So to summarize, here are the specs  for a travel laptop

 Battery Life: At Least 8 hrs
Display Size :12-13.3 inches
Display Type: Matte coat or IPS
Durability:  Metal display hinges, shock mounted hard drives, and spill-resistant keyboards
Quality keyboard: Almost as wide as the laptop
Ports:  At least two USB ports
Weight: 2-4 pounds
Wireless Connectivity: In-built WI-FI card with  802.11n  channel.

That's a wrap for "Shopping For A Laptop For Travel." If you re looking to purchase a laptop For travel , head on to  Amazon.com.