More than any other laptop PC, the Ultrabook™ was made for mobility. Its slim profile, light carrying weight, long battery life and fast sleep/resume capabilities are perfectly suited to travellers.
And that’s as it should be, because you don’t always want to leave your laptop sitting at the hotel room. From meetings with clients to email sessions at the cafe, your Ultrabook can go everywhere you do.
Here are four top tips for travels with your Ultrabook.
Haven’t caught the Ultrabook wave yet? Read our expert advice on choosing the right Ultrabook.
1. Update and backup before you go
The day before your trip, check for updates to the Windows OS and your key software – these can be quite large, and you don’t want them chugging away while you’re on a slow wi-fi connection at the airport lounge or a hotel.
Likewise, if you use online or ‘cloud’ backup software, run that backup session over your fast home or office network.
2. Charge up at the airport
Make the most of your Ultrabook’s extended battery life on your flight by charging it up in the airport lounge before you board the plane.
That way you’ll have plenty of juice to plough through your work, catch up on email or just enjoy your own in-flight movies, and still have enough left in the tank to jump online at the other end of your trip.
If your journey involves making a stopover at another airport, be sure to pack a universal AC adaptor so you can plug your Ultrabook into whatever type of power socket may be in use.
Always pack a world travel adaptor like this model from SKROSS
3. Be security-minded
Most Ultrabooks come with a bevy of software to help protect your data. This can include fingerprint or facial recognition for logging onto your Ultrabook, data encryption software and Intel’s own enhanced Anti-Theft Technology software.
If you’re not already using these tools on a day-to-day basis, get familiar with them and start using them before your trip in case your Ultrabook is lost or stolen.
4. Get connected
Every Ultrabook can tap into the fastest wi-fi hotspots in airport lounges, hotels and cafes.
But if you don’t want to rely on finding a handy hotspot, consider adding a prepaid 3G or 4G USB modem to your travel kit.
You can buy one from whatever country you’re visiting - they usually come with a serve of data to get you started - or bring your own USB modem and slip in a prepaid data SIM card.
The BYO approach works best if you typically visit several countries, but be sure to check that the modem isn’t locked to any specific network.
On top of the ability to be connected anywhere and any time during your travels, a prepaid 3G or 4G USB modem can sometimes be faster and more cost-effective than paying for a hotel’s wi-fi service!
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This article is sponsored by Intel Australia
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Article about Ultrabooks (ie PC), picture is a MBA - same hardware but twice the price thanks to the itax
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
moa999: the MacBook Air is an ultrabook, and I don't know where you get 'twice the price due to itax' from. In the US the entry-level MacBook Air costs US$999 without sales tax, which is typically 10% on top of that. In Australia the same machine is A$1,099 including 10% GST, so it works out to be almost the same price.
25 Jan 2012
Total posts 29
From an IT consultants point of view..
Windows updates the day before you travel is a terrible idea. Nothing worse than your computer crashing because of a dodgy update. Leave them until you get home, or do them a reasonable time before you leave!
Backing up before you leave - definately critical. But make sure you have a copy at home. The amount of times i've had customers call because their laptop bag has been stolen which had not only the laptop, but the external backup drive in it...
I would say the most critical thing would be ensuring you have a decent AV scanner installed and updated. Typically when your travelling your connecting to unknown networks - be it public where you might catch something or a customers network where you really don't want to infect anything. Also the unknown USB flash drives or external hard drives that get connected etc etc
Best piece of advice is protect your notebook at all costs.. when your away, especially international travel, it can be your entire lifeline to your business!
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