Traveling

A laptop is an ideal companion to travel with. It is lightweight, powerful, and has Internet connectivity. You can use it on land, sea, or air. With translation software, you can be at home in any country.

Few usage tips on traveling with your laptop

• A must read before you travel is the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website ( http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/ ). According to CBP, two ways exist to protect yourself. Either you take some proof of purchase/ ownership or you register your laptop with CBP prior to departure. Proof of purchase means documents, which fully describe the article, like bill of sale, insurance policy, receipt for purchase etc. CBP can register items, which may be readily identified by serial number or permanently affixed markings. They can be taken to the nearest CBP office to be registered before you depart. They will issue you a Certificate of Registration, for which you will have to fill up Form CF 4457. There is no charge taken for the Certificate and is valid as long as the writing on it is legible. To obtain the Certificate of Registration, a personal visit to the CBP office with the laptop is mandatory. No photocopies of any documents are allowed. Peripherals like scanners, printers, etc, if taken, are treated as individual items, and are subject to questioning. Regarding documentation, obtaining a Certificate of Registration, is probably the best answer to safely bring your laptop back home, without paying taxes and duties for it.
• Avoid running out the batteries on your laptop notebook while waiting for a flight. Look out for electric outlets at the airport. They are usually on the support columns throughout the passenger waiting areas, near the gate agent's desk, behind the bar of the airport bartender, or ask the custodian staff where to find an electric outlet.
• Before leaving home, remember all your passwords and login details of sensitive websites. Do not store them in your notebook. While checking with your bank, ensure that the notebook computer is not configured to remember your password, so that others cannot access your details.
• Before leaving the hotel, ensure that the laptop batteries are fully charged. Finding an electric outlet at the airport or in the plane can be difficult. Buy extra batteries and keep them fully charged. Airline travel clubs at airport lounges have electric outlets, so accessing them may be an alternative if you are allowed entry.
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• Carry a multi-power plug with you, as you may find different types of plugs when you travel. Similarly, telephone jacks vary across countries. It would be prudent to carry a telephone adapter, which can adjust with numerous telephone jacks. If you do some research on the countries of your trip, then you can find out before hand the type of power plug and telephone jacks that they use. You can find it out by phoning the hotels where you plan to stay. Some hotels also have Internet connections and WiFi facilities to serve tourists with wireless notebooks.
• Certain technologies cannot be taken out of certain countries. Before you travel, be sure to delete all technical data such as manufacturing processes, technical drawings and designs, technical specifications of instruments and machines, etc. form your notebook computer. If you have to take such information for business purposes, then be sure to get an export license for it if required, otherwise your computer may be confiscated. Some countries like France, do not permit encryption software.
• Laptops are small and due to this are easily stolen. Keep your laptop in sight always. Do not leave your laptop on the seat when you want to visit the toilet. Do not doze off between flights without leaving a hand or a foot on your computer. Change your computer case to a briefcase, or a piece of carry-on luggage to camouflage it. Check that your insurance policy covers the risk of theft or loss of laptop outside the office and outside the country. Keep backups in other luggage or on your person. You can also lock your laptop to any heavy and immovable object like a bedpost, or a desk leg, etc., with laptop locks and chains that are available at laptop shops.
• If you plan to use the free Internet services offered by many public libraries, be sure to know your POP account name, your user name and your password, so that you can configure your email account to work on their system.
  ? In flight or in a bus, taking the laptop as a hand baggage is a good idea. Certain airlines do not allow laptops as a hand baggage due to security issues. Check it out first before boarding the flight.
• Keeping the laptop on the overhead storage area may not be worthwhile as it can get bashed around by someone else's baggage.
• Metal detectors may damage laptops. Hence, you can politely request Security/Customs personnel to hand check the laptop rather than use a metal detector. X-rays do not harm the laptop, so a check by x-ray equipment may be recommended as an alternative to a metal detector check.
• Modems do not recognize all dial tones. To overcome this, you should learn how to set your modem options so that you can dial manually from any country.
• Phone calls via the Internet can save costs, but the drawbacks are that the sound quality is not so good, and both parties have to be online at the same time. Sometimes a traditional international call may be required to schedule an Internet call. Internet telephone technology is relatively new hence no great expectations should be placed on it.
• Reduce the number of auto-saves in the word processor and other software to save power. Also, minimize the use of CD-ROMs and floppy drive. PCMCIA cards when not in use should be removed. Keep the brightness of your screen at a minimum. You may also opt to use black and white mode.
• You may use Internet cafes at the country you visit to eliminate the need of lugging your own laptop around with you. You can check your email, surf the net, take out some printouts, and play some games on their machines. Always remember to delete your email from the café's system for your own security. However, for extended hours of work, when you may have to write reports, evaluate a spreadsheet, or budget your road expenses, a café may prove to be impractical and expensive.
• You must have your documentation like original receipts or Customs clearances with you as the onus is on you to prove that the laptop was not purchased during your visit. Failure to prove may result in paying taxes and duties on your laptop. Bringing your laptop in your own country is more troublesome than taking it out.
• Your baggage may not get the fragile treatment care, and so keeping your laptop with your baggage is not a good idea as it can be tossed around with your baggage. Always carry your laptop with you while traveling.