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Internet Online LapTop Warrior Discussion List
I - L-A-P-T-O-P W-A-R-R-I-O-R D-I-G-E-S-T

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October 7, 1998 Issue # 029
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....


// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //

Some simple advice needed

// -- NEW -- //

Cell phone rentals in Europe
~ Joanne Ashland

How is ATT's cell phone service for online connections?
~ Jack & Fern Weaver

What to look for in a laptop for int'l travel
~ Doug Hanson


// -- CONTINUING -- //

Kathleen Buckley and cell phone use in Portugal
~ Jan Herremans


// -- MODERATOR'S CORNER -- //

Expect miracles -- and lower prices -- from laptops


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// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //

Some simple advice needed

First, we have trouble as of late with our Email server. The
problems have delayed delivery of recent I-Laptop Warrior digests
to
some people, and it is possible that some people have not gotten it
at all. This is digest #29. If anyone failed to receive #28, let
me
know (at mailto:laptop@audettemedia.com) and I'll try to get you a
copy. Or perhaps we'll just send it back out to everyone. Thanks
for your understanding on this one.

Next, I'd like to ask for some advice. I'm often asked to assist
people who have had difficulty making a connection while on the
road, particularly when abroad. Certainly there are many very
specific things that a person must do to successfully make a
connection. From roaming internet access to phone line adapters,
you need to be prepared if you expect to be able to go online.

But what should I tell people who seem to have done everything
right, but who still have failed to make a connection? I think
we've all been there. You do what you've done before, but it
doesn't work. You check and double check everything, but still it
doesn't work. A feeling of complete helplessness sets in. It's not
so much that it's not working; it's that you know it should work
but
it isn't.

Then put yourself in the shoes of a total beginner, trying to make
a
connection for the very first time while traveling… It can be
frustrating.

What advise would you give? Do you use a checklist to ensure
you've
got everything covered? Are there common pitfalls that people often
run into? What can be done to help?


// -- N-E-W -- //

From: "Joanne Ashland" <ashlaj@ghg.net>
Subject: Cell phone rentals in Europe

I will be traveling shortly from the US to Norway via the UK. I
have worked for an airline before, so I am somewhat familiar with
the converters and adapters out there. This trip I'm bringing a
laptop computer and printer, with modem capability.

I already have RJ11 to RJ45 plug adapters for Mexico, but am not
sure exactly what I will need for computing in the UK and Norway.
Further, I wonder if any of you have info on cell phone rentals
abroad, such as in Norway. I know that the standard is the GSM
chip. The cost of 21 days rental when arranged here in the US is
$220 USD to have a handset in Norway with one's own number
(Nextel).

Are there cheaper rentals there, even though the number will be
assigned? Here in the U.S. most major car rental companies have
rentals for $3 per day plus calling charges. I don't think we'll
have a rental car there, however, though I know the terrain. Yes,
I
can speak Norwegian, so I can follow any sources there.

Any information you have would be appreciated.

Joanne Ashland
ashlaj@ghg.net


++++ next post - new topic ++++

From: "Jack & Fern Weaver" <jweaver1@gate.net>
Subject: How is ATT's cell phone service for online connections?

I travel the US in our motor home. I have a web site and email at a
local ISP using an 800 number to access remotely via BellSouth and
a
Nokia 2160 dual mode cell phone (using analog connection) through a
3COM cell-ready 28.8 modem.

As long as I am within 100 miles of the ISP, the 800 number works.
At 1000 miles, forget it. I cannot contact the ISP with a viable
connection.

Have considered going to ATT for web and email, using ATT's
one-rate
cell service, but I hate to go through that expense (new cell phone
and service, ISP, etc.) and trouble if I'll be no better off. Some
say ATT total service is better - others say not.

Your suggestions are appreciated.

Jack Weaver
jweaver1@gate.net
See our kids and grandchildren on our WWW site:
http://www.gate.net/~jweaver1


++++ next post - new topic ++++

From: Doug Hanson <northstar@top.monad.net>
Subject: What to look for in a laptop for int'l travel

I'm soon to be doing quite a lot of international travel and I'll
soon be buying myself a new laptop computer. I'm pretty well
versed
in the normal things one looks for in a laptop, from speed and
storage capacity, to weight.

What I am curious about is how my international travel should
influence my decision on what system to buy. What things will I
encounter while traveling that I should take into consideration
BEFORE buying the computer, things that would influence what system
I purchase? For instance, are all systems equal when it comes to
getting service while traveling? Are there built-in gadgets or
features that I should look for?

Thanks for the input.

Doug Hanson
northstar@top.monad.net


// -- C-O-N-T-I-N-U-I-N-G -- //

From: Jan Herremans <intyre@kmonet.be>
Subject: Kathleen Buckley and cell phone use in Portugal

I read Kathleen's posting with interest (see I-Laptop #24 and #28)
regarding the use of cellular phones for online access in Portugal.

I have just bought an Ericsson 388 which connects with laptops
without cables, using an infra red ray system.

I believe Nokia also makes a similar model regards

Jan Herremans
Intyre ,Belgium
intyre@kmonet.be


++++ Moderator's Corner ++++

Expect miracles -- and lower prices -- from laptops

I use ZDNet's AnchorDesk (http://www.anchordesk.com) to keep me
up to speed on news in the computer world. One reason I like it is
that it's news with an attitude. They're quite forward with
opinions, which I like. It's also informative.

The AnchorDesk recently ran a piece on developments in laptops. If
you're a computer-news junkie, you've probably already read this
all already. But for everyone else, I thought it would be good to pass
along some of this info. The original story can be found at:

http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/adem2fpf/www.anchordesk.com/story/story_2525.html

(Remember: If this URL has been broken by a line return, you'll
need to paste it back together before it will work.)

Here are some of the main points in the piece:

-- Expect laptops to be coming down in price as Intel cuts chip
prices and pushes its Pentium II chips for notebooks.

-- Intel has a 300 MHz mobile Pentium II.

-- IBM has recently announced a new processor that will extend
battery life by 50%.

-- Major manufacturers, including Dell, Micron, Sony and Gateway,
are launching new laptops with faster processors, better price
tags and less weight.

-- "Right now we're seeing glimpses of the powerful and light
computers ahead. A prime example is Sony's Vaio. Weighing in at 3.5
pounds and less than an inch thick, this powerhouse comes equipped
with a 266 MHz Pentium/MMX processor and a 56 K modem."

-- "Soon you won't need a separate monitor or a standing
appointment
at the optometrist to obtain optimal screen clarity. Dell's new
Inspiron is paving the way with a 15-inch XGA resolution display.
Look for other vendors to follow suit soon -- and with notebooks
lighter than the Inspiron's 8.9 pounds."

-- "As newer, faster models are released, watch for a trickle-down
effect in pricing. For example, when Gateway released its speedier
Solo 5150 last month, it abruptly dropped its 9100 LS (with a 266
MHz Pentium II) price tag by $200. Today's high-end will be
mid-level by the holidays, trust me. Click for more. In the next
few
months you'll also start seeing entry-level notebooks in the $1,000
range."

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Subject: Funny phones in Switzerland and France

Last two times I was in Europe, I came across phones that puzzled
me. One was in Switzerland, the other in France. The phones were
of a modern variety. They were wired in to the wall with Swiss and
French modular phone line plugs, as one would expect. But on the
other end of the phone line that ran from the wall, there was a
US-style RJ11 plug.

Oh, boy, I thought, this should be easy to go online. Since these
were residential lines I wasn't worried about digital service, so I
took the line out of the phone and plugged it directly into my
modem.

Nothing. It didn't work.

So I got out my line tester and checked out what I was dealing
with. In both cases, I found the polarity reversed on the lines.
I was surprised. Has anyone found similar circumstances and can
anyone offer an explanation? It was my understanding that the
general rule that a phone was a phone the world over still applied
(with the exception of digital PBX systems, of course).

My immediate solution was to pull out my alligator clips and put
the polarity back as it should be.

Bob Lawson

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