ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 21, 1996 TAG: 9611210024
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Computer Bits
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
RYAN MCDERMOTT,18, of Salem is seeing the world and keeping folks at home posted via Internet. His traveling companion: A Macintosh PowerBook with a famous name.
In case you're dreaming of taking a laptop and setting off to see the world - what a great thought! - you might want to know what it's like from someone who is doing it.
Meet Ryan McDermott, maybe the luckiest 18-year-old in the Roanoke Valley, unless you consider that sometimes his budget gets a little thin.
McDermott, from Salem, persuaded his parents to let him set off on a year's adventure that has taken him from Ireland to Germany where he is working in a Lutheran mission. He's paying for the trip himself and completing his high school credits through on-line classes with Virginia Western Community College. Ryan's also writing about his adventures for The Roanoke Times' web page at http www. roanoke.com.
But, back to Ryan and his PowerBook, Molly Malone, and his observations about computing on the road. What follows was written with "legs crossed in a comfy armchair on a sunny lawn of the Clancy farm in Kilreekil County, Galway, Ireland.
"These are the amenities of the portable office. Sound perfect? Right now it feels pretty damn close. But let's consider what it takes to get here," he wrote.
"I'm using a Macintosh PowerBook 190 with 8 MB RAM (memory used to run all your programs), 500 MB hard drive (memory used to store stuff), and a 66 Mhz (how fast the computer can think) processor. Compared to the highest tier of modern PC technology, I'm working at a snail's pace, but it does the trick.
"Molly Malone, my PowerBook, is in constant need of power. There are a few little things necessary to make Molly useful while on the road. First of all, she must be plugged in from time to time to recharge her battery. Under a normal word-processing workload, she'll last about 4 hours before she needs some food.
"Fortunately, Molly only requires 90 volts of electricity, as do many other notebook computers. The power cord automatically steps down any voltage to 90V, eliminating the need for a voltage converter when abroad. However, plugs are different everywhere you go, so I carry adaptors for every type of situation I may encounter in Western Europe.
"Molly has a slot in the side for a PCMCIA card (PC card for short). These little wonders are the size of a credit card and amazingly useful. PC cards are available for extra RAM, infrared communication, modems, and myriad other utilities. I use my PC slot for a modem card, so that I can connect to the Internet from wherever I am. The modem card plugs into the normal phone jack and dials the number of the local mainframe computer.
"First, though, in order to get on the Internet, you need an Internet service provider. I use the Compuserve network. For $9.95 per month, I get full services (e-mail, web browser, etc.) plus three hours of on-line time.
"Why did I choose Compuserve? It is a huge network with mainframe computers in thousands of cities around the world, so that, theoretically, I can always have the world at my fingertips for the price of a local phone call."
But it hasn't always been easy.
The first time he tried to get on line, McDermott realized that he needed a local access number for Compuserve and didn't have it.
After being unable to get the right number from Internet cafes or computer stores in Dublin, McDermott had to make a plain old phone call home to get the access number.
RYAN MCDERMOTT'S COMPUTER TRAVEL TIPS
* Before you leave, get a printed list of local access numbers for every state or country you may be in. For many servers, you must be on-line before you can get the list, which isn't very helpful if you can't get connected in the first place.
* Prepare all e-mail messages before you go on-line. That way you jump on, send the messages, and jump off, saving costly on-line time.
* Make sure you have at least one level of password protection for your computer. A big, bold sign that says PASSWORD PROTECTED, along with your name and address on your computer will go a long way towards deterring theft.
* Carry your computer in a padded case that never leaves your side. If you use a soft briefcase, travel locks on the zippers will prevent would-be thieves from rooting through the bag and taking only the computer. Develop a system of backing up data by downloading it through e-mail, purchasing an on-line back-up system, or leaving floppy disks in a place separate from your computer. You never know when your PC might crash, get stolen, or go on strike.
You can contribute to this column or just comment by sending an E-mail to biznews@roanoke.infi.net or by calling 981-3393 or 981-3237 in the Roanoke Valley, or (800) 346-1234, extension 393, outside the Roanoke area. Previous Computer Bits columns can be found online at http://www.roanoke.com.
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