Technology for Traveling
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Okay, so we are full time travelers as a family and we are trying to figure out what technology to carry with us for the next six months in Europe (starting right after Christmas.) We are a family of four, all of us use technology heavily. Here is what we have today:
- Scott: HP Envy 17" Windows 10 laptop, HP Folio Ultrabook Windows 8.1
- Dominica: Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Windows 10 laptop, iPad Mini
- Liesl: iPad 2, Nintendo 3DS
- Luciana: iPad 2
This current setup leaves us without any good video game machine and not enough technology for what we want to do. However, weight is important and we just can't bring "anything" that we want. Size is a concern too. We also want to attempt to leverage TVs and stuff that we have in the houses that we rent. The last few places we've neglected them and they get wasted.
We know that the kids are each getting a Kindle Fire small tablet for Christmas, that means each kid owns two tablets, not one. And the younger girl is now ready for a 3DS, so we need to move up to two of those rather than just one. We think, but we are considering not doing this.
We have a Steam Machine on order (backordered for a week already, fingers crossed that it arrives in time to take with us.) I am moving to a Window-less world and Dominica does not need Windows either. We need to reduce weight while increasing power. Here is how we are leaning...
- Family Devices: Steam Machine, Kindle Fire TV Gaming, iPad Mini
- Scott: HP Folio Linux Mint
- Dominica: Samsung Chromebook 2
- Liesl: Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Windows 10, 3DS, Kindle Fire
- Luciana: Acer Chromebook, Kindle Fire, 3DS?
So many variables. What will be useful, how much does it weigh, do we really need that much?
We are thinking that we will leave the two full sized and very heavy iPads at my dad's place for six months and see if we miss them. Right now they get used all day, every day and are totally central to the kids' lives and we are so impressed with how they have held up but they are very large and very heavy.
Also trying to figure out if a second 3DS makes sense. And if one or two Chromebooks are really needed. So many factors!!
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Have you considered an iPad Mini 2 for the tablets? Under 1lb, extremely portable, and still functional. And super cheap too..
As for the computer equipment I'd look at some of the ultrabooks, not cheap by any means, but super portable, with enough power and ports to make it worth the expense.
I'm pretty sure you said you weren't a fan of Acer but.... here
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@DustinB3403 said:
Have you considered an iPad Mini 2 for the tablets? Under 1lb, extremely portable, and still functional. And super cheap too..
Same size and the Mini that we have now.
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The Acer S7 is 2.87 Lbs
Throw in a USB 3.0 BluRay player that you can just tuck in your bag and be golden.
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Something like this maybe if you have bluray content.
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@DustinB3403 said:
The Acer S7 is 2.87 Lbs
Throw in a USB 3.0 BluRay player that you can just tuck in your bag and be golden.
We certainly are not traveling around the world with things on discs. This isn't the 1990s. We are purely online content.
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@DustinB3403 said:
I'm pretty sure you said you weren't a fan of Acer but.... here
With its RAID 0 Solid State Drive, the Aspire S7 reacts up to twice as fast as laptops with normal SSDs.
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Not starting the kids off on Linux? Just curious.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@DustinB3403 said:
I'm pretty sure you said you weren't a fan of Acer but.... here
With its RAID 0 Solid State Drive, the Aspire S7 reacts up to twice as fast as laptops with normal SSDs.
And will lose data faster if something happens.
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@scottalanmiller
If they both have iPads - why get a Kindle Fire? -
@gjacobse said:
@scottalanmiller
If they both have iPads - why get a Kindle Fire?- because they are not from us
- the iPads are huge and heavy, the Kindles are small and light
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huh, if iPads are huge and heavy, what is the Chromebook?
How old are your girls?
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@Dashrender said:
huh, if iPads are huge and heavy, what is the Chromebook?
How old are your girls?
They are 4 and 6. And they are big time gamers.
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The Chromebooks are actually more portable than the iPads.
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
The Chromebooks are actually more portable than the iPads.
How is that?
Same size and weight but less fragile.
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Will the Chromebooks play all the games they like?
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What about a Surface? where you can drop the keyboard?
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@Minion-Queen said:
Will the Chromebooks play all the games they like?
Chromebooks don't play games. All games will be on the Steam Machine and the Yoga 2.
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@scottalanmiller said:
[ ... ]
- Family Devices: Steam Machine, Kindle Fire TV Gaming, iPad Mini
- Scott: HP Folio Linux Mint
- Dominica: Samsung Chromebook 2
- Liesl: Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro Windows 10, 3DS, Kindle Fire
- Luciana: Acer Chromebook, Kindle Fire, 3DS?
So many variables. What will be useful, how much does it weigh, do we really need that much?
[ ... ]
%BOLD% absolutely!
I tend to have a lot of backup gadget devices with me. Typically N*2 where N is amount of kids in a family.
- I'd add external recharge batteries!
