Since my previous blog entry about going lightweight I have acquired some experiences. I have also bought myself a kitchen scale – to tally up the total weight of my portable office.
Power adaptors and converters:
I have located very nice solution to power the laptop. Kensington produces an nice universal laptop adaptor. It comes with the small “number 8 shaped” power cable – for quick resupply if you happen to forget the cable (which I sometimes do). As a neat extra, the power adaptor has a USB power port – allowing quick iPhone charging without plugging in the laptop.
The iPhone charger from Kensington solves a common problem with this Apple Device: Running out of battery. Even with wireless and bluetooth disabled, I rarely survive more than 24 hours on a single charge. The Kensington charger, apart from being usable from a standard USB cable (which the standard iPhone is not) will give me double the charges on the go. This has saved me from call disconnects several times already.
- Power Adaptor: 220g
- iPhone charger and battery adaptor: 36g
- USB foldable cable: 6g
- Universal Power Converter: 52g
For the frequent Europe traveller: Kensington utilities are available from Heathrow Terminal 5.
Bonus programs and travel documents
I am now member of 5 different bonus programs for hotels. Each of them supplies me with a credit card sized plastic membership card. It has become too much to carry this around in my tiny metal wallet (I never carry cash around – so I can do with a credit card holder).
The realization is simple: I only need my membership cards when I have my laptop on me (which I always do when I check into a hotel). Hence, the cards belong in the laptop case – I have acquire a little light weight leather wallet for them. It will also hold my passport and any visa documents I may need.
- Membership cards and wallet: 75g
I could probably reduce this weight a bit…
Laptop and bag
It turned out that my choice of a messenger bag was just right. The flap covering the laptop help keep it dry, even when it is pouring down (Which is has been several times since I last wrote about this).
A neoprene cover give me the flexibility to quickly and safely carry the laptop between buildings during rainy days, without the need to carry the entire laptop case. Flexibility is good.
I have now used my new Sony VAIO for more than two months – and I am loving it. It is quick, predictable and powerful. They keyboard is a pleasure to type on and the battery life is at least 6.5 hours.
There are however a few bad things to be said about the VAIO: Sony’s support is miserable and I loathe their driver download system – getting Win7 running stable took a few tries (and in this case, Windows cannot be blamed). Sony DID supply the right drivers from their website, but getting them installed was not as easy as I would wish for. But since I updated the display driver – things have run smooth.
The VAIO, unlike the MacBook Air, is for experts that will not compromise on functionality. It does not have the the “I am a designer with a sense of aesthetics” look of the MacBook – but it has the power you need to use it as a professional work tool.
- Laptop Messenger Bag: 475g
- Sony VAIO Z-Series: 1.550g (with extended battery)
- Neoprene Cover: 220g
Miscellaneous
I always carry a pen (for signing documents), a pile of business cards and some medicine for emergencies (Anti-Histamine and Ibuprofen).
- Pen: 20g
- Business Cards: 25g
- Medicine: 6g
Summary
After two months of testing, I am quite happy with my new travelling office. I think it is still possible to reduce weight more – for example, I can shave off a few gram here and there on the extras, perhaps get a lighter laptop bag too.
My only concern is that I sometimes panic shortly when carrying my laptop. I stop to ponder if it has been stolen or I just stopped noticing the weight.
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