![The Big Lebowski (Limited Edition) [Blu-ray Book + Digital Copy]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512F90yEqdL._SL75_.jpg){kind=small}
Monday
Sep282009
A Week in the Clouds Without a Notebook
Young Urban Professional
On average I travel for business about seven to 15 days a month. Sometimes it can get a bit nuts, but I love it - I never get bored. This is one of those weeks. I will literally be in the clouds all week both virtually and physically.
I am starting my journey today in Toronto. Tomorrow I am speaking at the MIXX conference and will also participate in staff, client, industry and press meetings. Wednesday I head to Atlanta for the day for another private event and then right back up to Montreal that night. Thursday I am speaking at MIXX in Montreal. I head home for one night and then do a round-trip from NY to DC on Friday for, yes, another speaking gig. (Map above. I like maps!)
Despite the travel, however, I still need to be productive. I need to stay in touch with my colleagues and clients and also do some writing. Also, I want to stay in touch with you here on my lifestream and on social networks. Mobile technology is my friend here.
I have a couple of different laptops that I take on trips. All of them are light. But you see, I am on a quest. I want ditch my laptop on every trip and only carry a smartphone and my Iamakey for the rest. Right now I have an iPhone 3GS but I may add a Blackberry to complement it. My key files and even some portable apps are encrypted on the USB key.
The reason is simple: all of these devices are pocketable. A laptop isn't. I don't want to carry a laptop because it's mental baggage. I don't want to be thinking about where it is. Smartphones and USB keys are like appendages. I always know where they are. Plus, I know that one day soon we won't need to carry laptops on business trips because these phones - which are really pocket computers - will be able to do it all, including hook up to hotel TVs. I am trying to experience this future now.
I have gone sans laptop on business trips before but this one at three nights is the longest one yet - although I am home for one night in between trips. I have tweaked my setup so that the apps and services I use on my smartphone are identical to what I use on my Mac at home and - to a large degree - my desktop PC at work. I like the simplicity and consistency of it all.
Here's what I using... (workflow below)
- Writing and To Do List - WriteRoom (which now has TextExpander support to speed up typing)
- Contacts and Calendar - Address Book and iCal, which connect with our Exchange Server
- Notes - WriteRoom for temporary storage, Evernote for archiving (more on this in a subsequent post on lifelogging)
- Files - Documents to Go, and if necessary, my IamaKey and Box.net/Sharepoint
- Mindmapping - Mindjet and Mindnode
- RSS - NetNewsWire, which syncs to Google Reader
- Twitter - Tweetie
- Plus, of course, Posterous and Instapaper for sharing and reading
The only thing I can't do with this setup is create or edit a PowerPoint deck, although I can view them. This is one reason I am considering getting a Blackberry too - you can edit PPT. I don't anticipate I will need to on this trip. However, I will need to write, but I can actually do so on my phone quite comfortably. If some people can write books on cell phones, then I can certainly crank out shorter stuff too.
You probably think I am nuts, but I hate carrying laptops. I have done so for years. I will keep you posted on my progress. Sometimes I am on the road seven or nine days at a time. I don't think I can ditch a laptop on these trips, but this journey might convince me otherwise. Wish me luck.
Reader Comments (31)
Good luck, Steve. Typing a book with one finger is definitely not so easy :)
This is really an eyeopener. Thanks for the tips.
Good luck. Technology is converging so fast that soon we shall all be joining you and travelling with just a small smart device in our pockets.
Steve, you're a bad ass.
I have found so many interesting thing in your blog and I really love that Keep up the good work
I adore that posting, keep it up! It really is not often for me to locate these types of a vigorous forums which often upkeep my interests. This up-to-date data is especially liked. You gentlemen really know about what you are currently dealing with. That is due to you guys that your particular world wide web talks such as these manage to keep their honesty. Appreciation for post!!! The data I acquired from these points actually improved people out!