To Eric Lazarus, hitting the road means packing the office for travel.
Along with files, pens, mini stapler and scissors, Lazarus packs his Dell D800 laptop with built-in wireless networking. Telephone and Ethernet cables are tucked away, in case his hotel doesn't offer wireless Internet access. Lazarus maintains his Earthlink dial-up account just in case broadband isn't available at the hotel.
He takes a car AC adapter to charge or use the laptop while on the road, which can come in handy when using the portable GPS and street atlas software to find his way around unfamiliar towns. If traveling abroad, he makes sure the universal power adapter is stashed as well.
"Traveling and logging on has only gotten easy in the past six months," said Lazarus, vice president of sales and marketing with B. Lazarus Inc., a Miami, Fla.-based manufacturer of hotel draperies and bedspreads. "It's been dial-up in the hotels for years. They're finally making it faster and easier."
Taking the computer on the road is about more than stuffing a laptop into a briefcase. Needs of users vary, from finding Wi-Fi services in hotel rooms or public spaces to locking the laptop or encrypting the data to thwart theft or snooping eyes.
"The face of the mobile user is changing," said Ian Lombard, director of technology products with Kensington Technology Group (www.kensington.com), the San Mateo, Calif., maker and online retailer of various computer products. "There are unique needs in every sector."
Lombard himself is an example of a well-prepared road warrior -- one who logs almost 100,000 miles a year with a satchel of accessories in tow. His BlackBerry device and Compaq Evo 610 laptop with its 17-inch monitor are packed in a Contour Pro 17 laptop case.
Upward of 10 percent of laptops sold today feature a 17-inch screen, and because of their weight often are called "luggables" instead of portables. Lombard's must-haves include a device that combines retractable USB, Ethernet and telephone cables; a small, plug-in mouse; and noise-reducing headphones. He also backs up his data on a USB flash drive, a thumb-sized storage device he carries in his pocket separate from the laptop.
Like Lazarus, Lombard prefers wireless access. His laptop has a Centrino processor for longer battery charge and for wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. He also keeps a Wi-Fi Finder on hand. With the press of one button, the device will reveal whether Wi-Fi is available where he happens to be and how strong the signal is.
Finally, carrying a laptop and logging on to public Wi-Fi services can make the computer and its data vulnerable to theft or hack attack. Aside from changing passwords frequently and updating firewall and anti-virus software, a USB encryption device will allow access to any program or files on a laptop only by plugging the "key" into the USB port.
Lombard uses a cable lock to secure the computer to a piece of hotel room furniture. Motion or distance alarms provide additional security by emitting an alarm if the laptop bag is moved - or moved a distance from the owner.
Among the other tools road warriors are using: Wireless PC cards that use cellular networks to provide Internet access anywhere a cell signal is available; USB lights to illuminate darkened workspaces like the tray table of an airliner; and USB hubs to add additional ports for all these devices.
