If you haven't been out in a while, then relax and know that no one considers taking a laptop on the road odd, unusual, or even noteworthy anymore. People do it all the time. In fact, it's unusual not to see someone camped out with a laptop in a coffee house. Most of the time, you see several people; sometimes everyone has their trusty laptops open.
Café computing
Today, you go to the coffee house, order your double-tall-decaf machiatto, sit around with frustrated people dressed in "Friday casual," and discuss how to connect to the café's Wi-Fi.
You don't have to do your laptop computing in a café. In fact, a park in a major U.S. city became a hub of activity with all sorts of people using their laptop computers there. The reason? The new business next to the park set up a wireless network without security. So the laptop users took part in the free Internet access.
Where to sit?
Before visiting the counter to order your beverage and under-cooked bread snack, scout out the entire café for a good place to sit.
You want a table, unless you like balancing a laptop on your knees while you sit on a sofa or an old sack of Columbian coffee beans.
Make sure you choose a table either away from the windows or facing the windows. You want to avoid having that bright light from the windows reflecting on your laptop screen and washing everything out. (You can tilt the screen to avoid the glare when you can't find anywhere else to sit.)
When you really want to get work done, find a spot away from the door and away from the sales counter. Do the opposite if you prefer to be social.
Be a socket sleuth
Another important factor in determining where to sit is the presence of wall sockets. Without trying to look like you're scanning for bombs, duck down and look under some tables or up against walls for a helpful AC power source.
If you want to be moral about things, ask at the counter if it's okay to plug in. Otherwise, just sneak a cord over to the socket as nonchalantly as possible. When you do manage to plug in, try to arrange the power cord so that no one trips over it. If someone does trip over your cord, expect expulsion.
Other tips 'n' stuff
You really should buy things when you're computing in a coffee house, diner, or café. Get a cup of coffee. Have a biscotti. Get a snack. The management at some places may enjoy having you there because your trendy presence adds to the atmosphere, but these places also want to make some money. So buy something!
If you want to drink and compute, get your beverage in a heavy, hard-to-topple, ceramic mug. But also grab yourself a nice thick wad of napkins. Just in case.
Never leave your laptop unattended! If you have to go potty, close down your laptop and put it away, or maybe even bring it with you. But never leave the laptop sitting by itself at the table. Someone will certainly steal it.
Laptopping in your hotel room
Here are some tips about using your laptop in a hotel room:
- If you're using a modem, be sure to create a location and a set of dialing rules for the hotel. Especially if you plan on returning to this hotel, creating this info now saves you time in future visits.
- Many hotels have broadband, or high-speed, Internet access. You pay for this. You usually find an Ethernet cable provided, but you probably want to pack your own, just in case. After you connect the cable, open your Web browser and follow the instructions on the screen to set things up.
- Beware of digital phone lines! Don't plug your modem into anything other than a hole properly labeled "modem."
- Never leave your laptop set up in your hotel room - it's a security risk. No, the housekeeping staff probably doesn't want to steal your laptop, but an information thief may get a hold of your laptop to cull out passwords and credit card numbers.
- Also remember that the hotel's network (wired or wireless) is a security risk. Be very careful when sending sensitive data over the hotel's network. Who knows how secure that network is or whether hackers are lying in wait nearby?
