Travel Tech 101 by Paul E. Schindler Jr.

March 21, 2002: Ix-Nay on XP
Microsoft thinks you should be using Windows XP as your operating system. I disagree. Windows XP is a boondoggle. Avoid it if you can. It is slow, bloated, hard to use and needlessly complicated.

March 7, 2002: The Baby Bells Grab for Power
An oligopoly of arrogant, mismanaged, money-losing companies with lousy customer service attempting to crush their fledgling competitors. Sounds like the airline industry, right? If you're paying attention, it also sounds like the high-speed Internet access business. If the Baby Bells get their way, your Internet access will be slower, less reliable and more expensive, with airline-style customer service to boot.

February 21, 2002: The Need for Speed
The collapse of Excite @ Home has left millions of travelers who once had high-speed Internet access in a special kind of 21st century limbo: They're struggling to get back to where they once belonged.

January 17, 2002: Gadgets and Software for the Road
Even after three columns about E-mail on the road, there's still more to be said. That's what I'm hearing from you. I've also got some excellent advice about power for field computing and the contents of your travel kit.

December 20, 2001: Pack Your Troubles in a New Kit Bag
over the years I have honed my travel kit to perfection. It contains just enough gear to ensure that I can plug in my computer and access the Internet in nearly any American hotel room.

December 13, 2001: The Last Mail Call of the Year
First, thanks to all of you for your E-mail on the subject of mail on the road. You were firm but fair, and, since you took the trouble to educate me, I am taking the trouble to educate you.

December 6, 2001: Still More Power to You
Via some lateral thinking, there are different and less expensive means of extending the battery life of your portable computing.

November 29, 2001: Mail Call, Part Two
You probably think that you can't use Outlook Express, the popular Microsoft E-mail program, on two different computers at once. Wrong. You can do it. You just have to know where to look and what to do.

November 22, 2001: Mail Call, Part One
Getting your E-mail when you're on the road can be frustrating and difficult. I have some tips that will ease the task. Knowing you may still feel a bit logy after all the turkey you ate, I promise that the tips require no expertise at all.

November 8, 2001: More Power to You
"More Power!" It was Tim Allen's motto when he played Tim Taylor on Home Improvement. But it is also the cry of every business traveler with a portable computer. I can't replace your dead battery, but I can help you postpone the awful moment when the screen blinks out.

These columns originally appeared at joesentme.com.

Copyright © 1993-2004 by Paul E. Schindler Jr.. All rights reserved.