[TheChairGuy]

I travel a bunch..sometimes several nights at a time (trade shows, overseas trips), but sometimes just an overnite to see a customer or two and back late the next day.

It's those overnite's that I've said I'd like to ditch the weight of my 8+ lbs of 15.4" laptop and power supply/recharge unit and travel lighter.  I have an iPhone(4) and it's gr8 for quick quips back answering folks emails to me.  As I've gotten better on the keyboard, I now reply back to even important customers on it for the sake of speed.  I think they'd all rather have an imperfectly typed answer now, rather than a perfectly typed answer later in my hotel room, etc.

The problem was files/attachments.  At least several times a day I am in need of attaching a file to an email...armed with the iPhone only by my side,  I couldn't do it.

Until today

With SuganSync's latest iTunes app update today I can now copy a doc or picture to a billboard and paste the link to the document or picture within any email.  The recipient simply clicks on the link and can read the document (and download it as they wish)

It's fantastic, now armed ONLY with an iPhone and an internet connection anywhere in the world I can send documents and pictures as my customers need.

For overnites, I am finally free to take only my iPhone and recently ordered iPad2 with me and be secure in the knowledge that everything will be taken care of on the road.  Literally, on the road and not necessary to go back to my hotel room or airport Club Lounge to do it.

For longer trips, I'll need my laptop as either device don't allow you to change documents if that's needed...but for quickie overnites or piddling around my house (which is my office) I'm totally good with the lightweight freedom of the iPhone and iPad now

I don't know if this file linking is available with DropBox or any other cloud service - I just want to put my endorsement in for SugarSync.  It's seamless, easy to use, no more expensive than the others and now has file linking available on your iPhone and iPad.  If you're a mobile professional like I am, you get the significance of all of this most likely already.

I think I'm loving this upgrade and service a little too much - I've officially turned geek today 

John

[JohnR]

You still have to upload the docs from your laptop in advance though - ? How is this different from putting them on a website?

I guess I'm not quite following the whole strategy to be honest - an 11" Air and a 3G USB stick will give you everything, all the time. At a whole lot less than 8 lbs.

Confused John...

[TheChairGuy]

John, MacBook Air was an option...albeit a USD$999 for the least expensive version.

SugarSync is a seamless transition and the iPad2 is USD$499.

I save or create docs (or pics, or mpegs, jpegs, etc) to my laptop hard drive....and a copy is saved to SugarSync automatically.  I now have a redundant backup of vitally important docs on the ground and in the air.

Buying a MacBook Air for $1000.00...I'd still need a cloud storage solution to help me sleep at night.

So, I get the same result (freedom from bulk) for $500 less with an iPad2. 

I also find watching movies and sports (NCAA March Madness App is divine!) is more enjoyable from a flat tablet design than a laptop with two folding halves.  It's simply easier and more tactile sensation holding it in your lap to watch something. 

So, now I have a fine ~$700 laptop (this one is 2yo and runs Vista64 and with 4GB DDR3 memory and 250GB hard drive...which I have 70Gigs used up already with only business stuff) that never crashes, a $500 iPad2 on the way, an iPhone4 doing daily service and seamless cloud storage for $100 per year from SugarSync. 

For not much dosh at all, I'm now fully mobile and efficient wherever I go so long as there is internet service

The AT&T brand iPhone has a Personal HotSpot feature since last month's update...so it is a wifi hotspot for any wi-fi enabled device that needs it.

A 13" MacBook Air with 250GB HDD is USD$1600...and I'd still be squinting a bit at the screen and have a cramped keyboard experience next to my less expensive and wider 15.6" laptop.

So, for me, the iPad2 16GB was the right move 3 devices cost me less than $1500...and my monthly fees between iPhone and SugarSynch is less than $90 month.  I think that's stellar value for this kind of complete computing freedom. My computer needs are set for at least another year assuming all the products continue to work well. 

I don't think you can ask for much more than a year or two without surveying the landscape for new tech that might be better to fit your particular situation.

All deductible as a business expense for me, too

As I said, I'm tooooo excited over all this now - I may have turned the corner into full geekdom  now.  But, for me, the era of true and completely mobile computing freedom has begun (SugarSync's latest upgrade was the link that tied everything together) and it's a bit of a hoot to be able to take full advantage of it with my lifestyle and have it all so freakishly sensibly priced, too.

John

[JohnR]

So, now I have a fine ~$700 laptop

Which you don't carry with you.

So, for me, the iPad2 16GB was the right move

Which won't edit your documents.

Sorry Johnno but I'm really not following the logic. I can understand just getting a gadget because you want it. But purely on a cost and function basis, it looks to me like you have two devices that cost $1200 that is a more complex and less satisfactory solution (for work) than the $1000 solution.

[TheChairGuy]

I can generally put off editing a document for 24 hours....so the iPad is my solution for overnite trips only.  You may have missed that part in my first jumbled post.

I'm resigned to the fact that for longer travel, trade shows, overseas trips mostly, I'll need my USD$700 / commodious, but slightly bulky 15.6" laptop.

The iPad also let's me toodle around the house during work hours with complete portability.  My work days tend to start at 6AM and end at 4PM when I'm not out doing errands and the iPad has up to 10 hour battery life (supposedly)

A 13" MacBook Air would not well replace my 15.6" notebook due to sizing issues alone (screen and keyboard)

So, for me and my situation, any of the MacBook Air's would've been a more expensive at USD$1300 to $1600.  Meanwhile, $500 iPad2 and $700 laptop are both more versatile and better for my overall situation.

It's all tied together seamlessly with SugarSync now 

btw, there are $9.99 - $19.99 apps available that do allow you to edit and create documents in Microsoft Office (which are the business docs, Excel foremost and Word lesser so, I use most) on iPhone and iPad.  I haven't investigated them, but I will with the new iPad coming is as the 9.7" screen would be large enough to consider editing/creating from scratch as needed.  The iPhone screen is simply too small for this.

John

[jtwrace]

iPad has up to 10 hour battery life (supposedly)

It really does! 

[JohnR]

I don't quite understand how the Airs got simultaneously upgraded to $1300 to $1700 and downgraded to not having a full-size keyboard (except for the function keys on the 11" and how often do you use those).

But it's cool.

My SO recently got a new laptop (from work). What a nightmare - it's so big it has a numeric keypad on it as well as a regular keyboard and as a result the trackpad is off to the left of center - centered on the normal alphanumeric keyboard, but not the actual laptop. I takes a real effort to use it.

[MaxCast]

Glad your apple products are working well for you, Chairdude.

So how long is everybody's guess will it be that we can pull a file from a cloud (or office computer), edit it and save or send?
This is from an ipad or smart phone.

[TheChairGuy]

I don't quite understand how the Airs got simultaneously upgraded to $1300 to $1700 and downgraded to not having a full-size keyboard (except for the function keys on the 11" and how often do you use those).

Choose at will: USD$1000 or $1200 for a WAY too small 11" MacBook Air (with the $1000 option having entirely inadequate hard drive storage for my needs) or almost acceptably sized 13" Mac Air with slightly cramped screens and keyboards for USD$1300 and $1600

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_air

The 11 inchers simply won't work at all for my needs....so the 13" more closely, but ultimately inadequately, fold into that spot.

My SO recently got a new laptop (from work). What a nightmare - it's so big it has a numeric keypad on it as well as a regular keyboard and as a result the trackpad is off to the left of center - centered on the normal alphanumeric keyboard, but not the actual laptop. I takes a real effort to use it.

I have the luxury of choosing a laptop that specifically fits my needs and wants, not one chosen en masse by a corporate IT Department.  Your SO has to use the abomination that was picked out for her. I've had no nightmares with this last laptop, a Vista64, and once I got off Internet Explorer.

Aside from the damage my cat inflicted upon my Alt key on the left side (ha), it's been a sensational performer for me    I've seen newer 15.6" OS laptops a bit thinner and a little lighter, too, for half the price of a slightly cramped-up 13" MacAir/264GB.  For me, the value and need is just not there in the Apple line.

That Apple has gotten me to peel off $700 for two devices (iPhone and iPad 16GB) so useful, is a testament to their ingenuity as I have many dead Presidents in my pockets screaming to be let out 

Maxcast/Rich - I think the day is here already.  See Documents to Go, QuickOffice Connect and other apps for editing Office Suite docs on your iPhone and iPad.  I haven't invested in any yet - but I may just when I get my iPad in a few weeks.

John

[JohnR]

I have the luxury of choosing a laptop that specifically fits my needs and wants,

And hence my bemusement at you continuing to (not) lug around an 8-pound collossus

Anyway. There's a dead horse icon around here somewhere.

[jrebman]

Rich,

Yes, that day is here -- iPad with "Pages" for iPad (same word processor as the one on the Macs), external wireless keyboard, MobileMe -- you can do all this and what TCG said about sugarsync, though with less storage.

-- Jim

[MaxCast]

Thanks for the info, guys.  I'll have to read up on this.

I guess what I really want is 2-3 computers with no hard drive, smart phone and maybe a pad someday all accessing the same hard drive somewhere close to God.  I would also like this hard drive protected by God too.

[TheChairGuy]

MaxieRich: Are you asking for your hard drive to be both close to and protected by.....Steve Jobs? 

[MaxCast]

MaxieRich: Are you asking for your hard drive to be both close to and protected by.....Steve Jobs? 

heh, I was going to use his name in the same sense but changed my mind.

[pjchappy]

Rich,

You can come very close to achieving that goal today.

1. You can set up a mini-server at home/home network.  With that, you could allow access to it via all your devices. . .and even set-up access over the Internet, when you are not at home.

If you don't want to do #1, you can do #2 (that doesn't sound quite right. . . ). 

2. There is 'cloud' storage available.  For instance, if you have a Hotmail/MSN account, you can store files via their (up to 5GB free storage) SkyDrive and access the files anywhere you have Internet access (you can make the access public or private).  You can download, edit, re-upload. . .just as you would to a home server (#1).

For instance, here are some pics loaded to a public folder on my SkyDrive, from the Paul McCartney concert I went to last year: Paul McCartney pics via SkyDrive.

If I had the need, I would do #1 in a heartbeat.  Nevertheless, I'm basically their right now, I can access (and even control) my PC via my Droid X anywhere I have Internet access.  There is software available to edit Office type docs, etc.  I'm sure there's available smart phone software out there for most people's editing needs.


Paul

[Crimson]

What he ^^^ sed. SaI'd. Said.

Yes.

[JohnR]

So how long is everybody's guess will it be that we can pull a file from a cloud (or office computer), edit it and save or send?
This is from an ipad or smart phone.

Looks like you can do it now - http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/godocs-for-ipad-iphone-google/id348792440?mt=8

[TheChairGuy]

A new day has dawned for full mobile computing for me with SugarSync's app update yesterday to allow for linking within an email a document, jpe, mpeg, etc.

It's full speed ahead and no holds barred for this road warrior.  Gonna' fit in quite a lot more free time than I've had previously due to this.

I'm not sure I entirely love technology overall (life was reasonably sensational for me 25 years ago before I used my first fax machine, too ), but I'm using easily available and damn cheap technology to my fullest advantage now 

I love today 

[MaxCast]

Chairdude, what does it take to be able to link to a doc?  ONce all software is in place what do you do to an excel file or folder of excel files to be able to link/access to them?

[eclein]

Have you guys seen these:
http://www.airstash.com/index.html


I know its not the same thing but I'm getting one of these for sure, a 16 GB ipad just became as big as I want-when I finally get one...LOL