Ask Slashdot: Instead of a Laptop, a Tiny Computer and Projector? 339
rover42 writes "I travel a lot, usually on a tight budget and often on airlines with tight luggage weight restrictions and high fees for going over, so traveling light is very important to me. So is connecting to the net when traveling, which creates a conflict. I do not trust machines in Internet cafes and my laptop adds significant weight & bulk to my luggage. I could buy a small netbook or a MacBook Air, but is there another choice? There are quite a few tiny computers available, Raspberry Pi and the like. Alone, they don't solve my problem because you need a screen and that is at least as heavy as a laptop. However, there are also quite a few tiny projectors. Would a tiny computer plus a tiny projector do the trick? Which ones? All I need for software is some open source Unix (any *BSD or Linux distro should be fine, or even Minix), a browser and an editor. I don't need large storage or a fast CPU. Has anyone done something like this? Does anyone have a recommendation for either the computer or the projector?"
Re:You'll regret it (Score:4, Informative)
And the most expensive option. And if it breaks, you won't be able to fix it. Definitely a good choice.
Your problem SOLVED.... Eee PC (Score:5, Informative)
A 7" Tablet is a better solution (Score:5, Informative)
I used to lug a laptop on business trips but now I can get by with just my Blackberry and Playbook. The Playbook has HDMI out so I can use a big screen TV at the other end to show my presentations and videos using my blackberry as a remote. The Playbook fits in my inside jacket pocket so it is ideal for these kind of trips.
Galaxy Nexus + Dock + BT Key/Mouse (Score:3, Informative)
I use Galaxy Nexus for such stuff. GN has pretty large screen for on the go, but when i get at home, GN dock + Bluetooth Keyboard + mouse + 24" monitor gives me decent working environment.
you can carry all (except monitor) anywhere where you go and then use dock with hotel room TV (if it has hdmi port).
I'm happy with my Galaxy Nexus :)
Alex
This made me make a slashdot account (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This made me make a slashdot account (Score:5, Informative)
Plus, why a projector? They sell video glasses for any phone, at a couple of different transparencies. Seems like that would be more effective than a projector.
Re:You'll regret it (Score:5, Informative)
Re:This is a terrible idea (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Zenbook. (Score:4, Informative)
Get the Asus Zenbook ... Aluminum's the worst material to use in a laptop, anyway.
Um, what? Quoted from the Asus Zenbook website:
There are several advantages to the finely crafted aluminum used in ASUS ZENBOOK construction. In addition to its gorgeous appearance, aluminum offers a lighter Ultrabook that’s easier to carry, while retaining strength and durability. To accomplish a sleek and smooth metallic look, ASUS developed new mounting methods that reduce screw usage by 12%, taking inspiration from hand-crafted luxury wrist watches.
Re:This is a terrible idea (Score:4, Informative)
I've used one of those. They're slightly worse than a smartphone soft keyboard. I'd have to be really trying to travel light to even consider one of those.
Re:This made me make a slashdot account (Score:5, Informative)
Sony Glasstron have been around for years. There are several other manufacturers making their own versions of them. I had the first version, which had a fixed visor. As I recall, newer versions of it had removable visors so you could see through them. There were also hacks for the original ones, where people removed the visor (or parts of it), so you could see through them.
The original wouldn't work with a phone, but I believe others did use Bluetooth.
Re:This is a terrible idea (Score:4, Informative)
What about power? I have spent the last 15 years traveling with my work, working out of cafes, coffee shops, bars, planes, trains, and automobiles, beaches, and basements. I am incredibly conscious of size and weight because I cary my laptop everywhere, every day. If I'm outside my laptop is on my shoulder or back. 3 punds is the breakpoint. Less than 3 pounds and you can carry it everywhere all day and not notice you've got it. Above that it becomes a problem.
But really, by far the most valuable thing to have in a portable computer is a long-lasting built-in power supply.
There will never be an outlet when you need one. I guarantee it. And with a portable computer you must have an outlet to do anything at all. Even if you did cobble together a battery for a portable computer it wouldn't be nearly as efficient as a laptop because laptops are made to run efficiently. And you'll need to carry the cord. More mass. Before "ultraportables" and the Air I would carry Sony X-series and spring for the extra-life battery. It increased the weight 50% and volume by 25%, but gave me 8-9 hours of tether-free power (vs 2) which saved my job on more than one occasion. I don't get quite that with the Air at this point, but 5+ hours is easy. I usually leave the charger at home/office/hotel room, which saves more space in my bag.
Projectors also require a flat, light colored, vertical surface to project on. This is much less available than you might think.
Re:Go further: do it on a phone? (Score:3, Informative)
LaTeX won't work on ARM
Really? It was originally written for the PDP-11 and I've run TeX on SPARC, PowerPC, i386 and x86-64. I doubt there's anything sufficiently unportable to fail to run on ARM. You can install a Debian chroot on Android, and there are TeXLive packages for Debian/ARM, so I don't see what the problem is...