Mobile Technology on Vacation

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Mobile Technology on Vacation

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Oops... put the wrong link... biggrin

Here's the real one...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VACATIONS_AP_POLL?SITE=NYELM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

-- Edited by rayb at 16:20, 2007-06-01

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I bring my work cell phone but basically use the voicemail function unless the big boss calls. I used to have a laptop but it was such a hassle to get it out when I flew that I didn't get another when it got outdated. Frankly, there is nothing so critical that cannot be done by someone else for a few days that I need to bring something like that along. I am fortunate in that respect.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

What does a farmer need a laptop for?

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

Excell, powerpoint, word plus the web and email. A lot of things are online like research, pricing, purchasing, even pesticide reporting. If you use precision farming you can do yield mapping and analysis also.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

And who's your big boss when you're a farmer?

God?

--Ray

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

When I go on vacation--no laptop, no cell phone, no GPS, etc. Escaping technology is what vacations are for.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

It sort of depends on the vacation... this summer it's Yosemite and MrCoco needs his laptop fix. Plus my sis and hubby and nephew from Sweden are coming with us and the two 13 year old boys need their online gaming in those quiet evenings after the hiking, swimming, nature-loving and canasta... Hey! I'm gettin' excited!

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

You forgot a poll option...

No...at least not until I install a GPS receiver and maps on it...

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

I was corrupted from when I used to be on a Level 3 support team for an Oracle ERP system and being part of the rotating 7x24x365 on-call assignments for my assigned module...

Had to have a pager (and later a cell phone too) and in some instances even a laptop if didn't want to have to go into the office to fix a problem on an after-hours problem ticket. And, you had to have it with you even on holidays if you going out of town. And that in an environment when laptops were still rare.

Now, desktops in my firm are rare. Everyone has laptops. I have two work laptops provided to me by my employer, and a personally owned laptop at home. No longer do I have a pager (thank goodness, was able to get rid of that about 5 years ago... never again!), but I do carry a cell phone most places now in it's place. I carry the laptop with me on most vacations (yeah, what is a vacation?) or trips to visit family for a family event or holiday "just incase I get bored" -- which rarely happens and I often have to make up an excuse to get it out and try and "impress" the sibs and in-laws.

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

I belong to a very nerdy family I guess...

When we went to daddy's funeral I was the only person that did not have a laptop in my carry on... my PDA/folding keyboard is as functional as a laptop for most of my uses... (just keeping my journal requires my PDA and frequent syncing...)

Everyone except Son2 has a cell phone for work related issues, and we carry them for convenience everywhere... we pay almost nothing for them... honestly we wouldn't all have them otherwise... part if not all the cost is picked up by each employer (Son2 has a cell too, but it's an add on to hubby's and my plan which hubby's employer picks up 3/4 of the cost, as a flat allowable rate... and the other 1/4 is picked up by mine, they actually save money over the average cell cost they would cover for me...)

When we check into a hotel, internet service is a requirement... but we hardly ever use it... It's an "incase" thing, and a way to find good restaurants... wink

Dyany · Senior Member

We're completely addicted (call our home the 'geek house'). We do have a GPS unit we can attach to the laptop. My hubby brings his laptop on vacations. I bring mine too. We try to find places with internet access. We DO frequently use them while out and about. I have to admit though -- I would be less inclined to bring mine if i didn't have a laptop backpack. That thing is sooooooo much better than the traditional briefcase-style cases.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

Having a cell phone has gotten me out of a jam twice, and one of our sons at least once. One of the incidents occurred while we were out of state. Two of the calls were for police assistance, the other to get needed information in a hurry. I won't say I never leave home without it, but I feel more comfortable having it along. Also, our set up allows much cheaper calls when my wife cannot seem to survive without checking up on the new grandchild from out of state, etc.

-- Edited by lundbaek at 11:02, 2007-06-03

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I don't have a cell.

I do have a laptop and use it all the time. I like to bring it with me whereever I go, because in my nonprofessional spare time, I like to think someday I'll write the next great series of books... so on vacation I spend the time writing. (unless the kids force me to do something "fun".)

--Ray

-- Edited by rayb at 21:27, 2007-06-03

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

rayb wrote:

And who's your big boss when you're a farmer?

God?

--Ray

Dad. Family business. biggrin

TitusTodd · Senior Member

I have been more like Roper up until recently. I do take a cell phone no matter where I go but work doesn't have the number (if they did, I would get dumb questions throughout the week from my employer). To date I haven't owned a GPS and don't see the need for it.

My laptop is 5 years old and usually left at home until we went to Arizona and Utah for spring break. I decided to take it "just in case" though at the time I didn't know what for. It turns out my aunt in Bullhead needed help getting a new computer set-up (a new, used computer from an ancient one she had). I was able to use my laptop to transfer data (her new computer does not have a floppy drive and her old one doesn't have a USB but my laptop has both). I also used my laptop to copy some pictures from my mother's camera that were taken while we were there (they don't own a computer). So, I might contemplate taking my laptop on vacation again but not for work.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

TitusTodd wrote:

I have been more like Roper up until recently. I do take a cell phone no matter where I go but work doesn't have the number (if they did, I would get dumb questions throughout the week from my employer).

I had an employee once who would call me on vacation with dumb questions. It drove me crazy, especially since there were at least two other people working within a few yards of him that could answer those same questions. Finally, one of them told him to knock it off! It nearly drove me cookoo.

Homestar Runner · Senior Member

rayb wrote:
Are you part of the 20%? What mobile devices do you bring on vacation?

I always have my cellphone and laptop on vacation. Sometimes, it's the work laptop, sometimes it is just a personal laptop.

Company policy where I work: If you have done an hour of work, you don't need to take the day as a vacation day.

When I don't work, I use the laptop as a DVD player to keep kids happy. As a personal consumer of crappy dial-up access, me rikey free hotel high-speed.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I used to feel naked if I didn't have a pen and notebook, or at least a paper and pen with me... I know people that feel that way about their cellphones and computers... :)

--Ray

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

PDA=Polly Data Abriter=brain

For me this is a truth... I only go somewhere without my PDA if I am brain dead.... It then become a self-fulfilling example of "Life with Polly"...

DaKnife · Senior Member

Of course I take my laptop, what else am I going to do when I fill up the memory card on my camera, it's only 1gig, I have to unload it frequently.

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

I like your sig, DaKnife.

glumirk · Senior Member

When we went to Hawaii I would just unload my SD camera card onto my computer every night. I took more pictures on my 512MB than my mom did on her 2G card!