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From: brian@king.csd.mot.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Travelling with a laptop
Message-ID: <3839@motcsd.csd.mot.com>
Date: 2 May 91 16:56:36 GMT
References: <1991May1.224944.13424@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Sender: usenet@motcsd.csd.mot.com
Lines: 56

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