Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,245
Remote work isn't so rare. The Escapees group Xscapers has attracted over 20,000 working age RVers so far. Many if not most of them support themselves by doing computer work from their rigs.
For those that require a PC: Laptop, desktop, or other on midsize MH...
- Thread starter gfmucci
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
It is not all that few, for example my wife still works full time (though she does get close to 40 vacation days per year), and it is rare that she does not have to do some work related stuff while on a trip, ranging from hours per day on her notebook computer if there is a big project going on, or down to just taking a few phone calls.
phil-t
Well-known member
Not "need" -- want. We use it for streaming out favorite TV shows, staying in touch with 3 kids, 6 grandkids, and other family and friends. We are not just doing weekends, it's a "way of life".
Alan_Hepburn
Well-known member
I take my laptop whenever we hit the road. It's convenient to store, and use, in the motorhome, and if we find oursleves in a situation where the only internet access is at a park's clubhouse, or in town at a library, it's easy to haul the laptop around.
gfmucci
Well-known member
Uses of a computer/phone/tablet while RVing:
1. Looking up the critters you observe
2. E-book reading in lieu of heavy paper books
3. Staying in touch with friends and relatives
4. Games for bored younguns
5. Photo editing and storage.
6. Blogging about your adventures
7. Devoting a few hours a day to remote work responsibilities while enjoying the great outdoors around the country.
8. Remote learning as part of your adventure.
9. Researching potential destinations; campgrounds; trip planning; Google mapping
10. Budgeting; tracking expenses on Excel; MH repair logs
11. Streaming video/movies in lieu of TV
Others can add many more, I'm sure.
Yep, I use my lap top for that. It teams up with Garmin and accordion maps.
I have a nice little bag for it.
Now I must confess. I used to have a big computer and I used a mouse that had a ball on it.
Well, I STILL use that mouse with the ball on my simple laptop.
I just can't seem to make that square spot on the laptop work.
I seem to be way too dumb to slide my finger on that spot to move the arrow. Lordy
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Rob&Deryl
Well-known member
Well, when you live in the rv, getting away doesn’t include everything.
But one can hope, right? hahahah
Larry N.
Well-known member
That's your idea -- not everyone agrees. And many people live in their rigs full time, too. When I was 30, 40, 50, 60 I thought a tent was the way to go, but the old bod doesn't like it any more, and needs/wants have changed. To me (and to some other folks) an RV is a mobile apartment that lets me travel with my own bed, food, etc. yet lets me get close to the outdoors neat stuff.
Note, too, that with age some of us are rather more physically restricted than used to be the case. I can no longer hike any distance, even with two canes, though as long as I don't walk too far I can mostly get around normally, and I want to keep it that way, not wear out what little capability is left, and especially not suffer knee, ankle, foot and hip pains to the point I need help returning.
SO, as in most fields, you have your choices and others have their choices and they don't HAVE to match.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Modern laptops are as good as desktops.. I used to have one with half a 500 Gig HD and now one with 250 Gig (the 500 G is now a plug in drive) CPUs are comparable. about the only thing lacking from a laptop is 20 USB ports (Ok I exagarate) and you can use a hub to expand that.
Plus laptops generally have Wi-Fi. not so common on desktops I've had.
I have 3 laptops in front of me. On Windows because some of the programs I use "offline" are windows specific. and two chromebooks used "on line" only... I use web mail (Which helps protect me against malware) I like the chromebooks when I'm "Out and about" as if I connect to a non-secure wi-fi and it gets "Bit" by malware.. 2 minutes to fix it and 2 more to full restoration.
Plus laptops generally have Wi-Fi. not so common on desktops I've had.
I have 3 laptops in front of me. On Windows because some of the programs I use "offline" are windows specific. and two chromebooks used "on line" only... I use web mail (Which helps protect me against malware) I like the chromebooks when I'm "Out and about" as if I connect to a non-secure wi-fi and it gets "Bit" by malware.. 2 minutes to fix it and 2 more to full restoration.
IBTripping
Well-known member
I have a pc laptop because I occasionally do DJ and/or Karaoke gigs. Otherwise I'd probably use a Chromebook to surf the net, do email, and check my Facebook along with researching routes and sight seeing spots.
garyb1st
Well-known member
For us, traveling is more about getting out of the city than seeing the sights. We haven't seen everything in 12 years and 100,000 miles of coast to coast travel, but we've seen a lot. So often it's been there, done that and the only question is do we want to do it again. We're not planners and up until this past year didn't need to reserve sites. Unfortunately, that has changed and finding a spot without spending some time on line is becoming quite difficult. If it weren't for the Internet, we'd be spending lot's of nights at Rest Areas and Walmarts. We also avoid the Interstates when possible and enjoy the relative ease of the lesser highways. But we like to check road conditions on highways we haven't traveled. Here in the West, weather is also a major concern. I always check the local weather before moving into an area that has lots of trees and dry grass. We left our last spot a day early because of Red Flag warnings. So for us, it's pretty important to have reliable Internet.
Reinigm
Well-known member
I like your comment about maintaining repair logs on the computer. Great idea. Should have thought of it myself.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
As others have mentioned, there are quite few of us that live fulltime in our RV's. My wife and I like having pretty much the same creature comforts we had in our sticks and bricks. For us that means having reliable Internet, satellite TV, laptop PC's, tablets, smart phones, and of course all the usual amenities for cooking, bathing, and sleeping. There was a time when we spent more time enjoying the outdoors, but now at 77 and 78, we spend more time relaxing and enjoying living inside or outside as we feel like it.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
OMR (Old Man Rant) first. I cut the Apple chord this year after 20+ years. The Mac, the iPad, the iPod and the iPhone were tremendous innovations that laid the gauntlet at the feet of the PC people - Jobs was special and I admired him. But when Apple admitted they knowingly and purposely affected hardware life through software "upgrades" I decided they are just criminals. I have made the transition to android and won't go back. People at Apple should have gone to jail.
Having said that my Galaxy tablet can do 90% of what I need but I haven't found a useful way to do photo and video editing on a tablet. I also prefer spreadsheets on the laptop as well.
I don't question (or really care) why or what other people "need" for computing solutions. I will say that since the 90's the PC has been an integral part of people's daily lives and is a huge personal productivity tool. No use tilting at windmills.
Having said that my Galaxy tablet can do 90% of what I need but I haven't found a useful way to do photo and video editing on a tablet. I also prefer spreadsheets on the laptop as well.
I don't question (or really care) why or what other people "need" for computing solutions. I will say that since the 90's the PC has been an integral part of people's daily lives and is a huge personal productivity tool. No use tilting at windmills.
conversationalonion
Active member
I was a network engineer for too long and often had to travel most of the year with multiple laptops in tow (you think you have issues with TSA lol). currently I have to manage books for two companies as well as estimates, proposals, read and interpret drawings and such.
laptop comes out a few times a month for the heavy lifting and my iPad for day to day on the jobsite. Wife uses her android tablet for most of her day to day and laptop for heavy lifting. I use my phone as a phone so accustomed to “whatever“. Wife got me an iPhone about a month ago and the use has not changed.
I YouTube here and there and use a variety of calculators as well as the note functions on pho and tablet but these are available on any platform. I’m a tool user so if it works for you then use it is my general advice. As far as what to travel with I think that is also a personal decision. The bulk of our travel weight is food, dog items, and lots of tools.
laptop comes out a few times a month for the heavy lifting and my iPad for day to day on the jobsite. Wife uses her android tablet for most of her day to day and laptop for heavy lifting. I use my phone as a phone so accustomed to “whatever“. Wife got me an iPhone about a month ago and the use has not changed.
I YouTube here and there and use a variety of calculators as well as the note functions on pho and tablet but these are available on any platform. I’m a tool user so if it works for you then use it is my general advice. As far as what to travel with I think that is also a personal decision. The bulk of our travel weight is food, dog items, and lots of tools.
garyb1st
Well-known member
Sadly it's become a business model for many corporations.
The DW was a Windows user until, IIRC Windows 10, after that disaster she became an Apple user. What are you using and how does it compare?
phil-t
Well-known member
Supported and worked on/with PC/Windows/MAC/Apple from '93 to 2018. It has always been the case that software advancements required hardware changes.
thelazyl
Well-known member
The new, larger curved (concave?) monitors are awesome and are cheaper than the older style "flat screen" ones. My business partners love them. I personally prefer a laptop or Chromebook connected to an external monitor.
Ernie n Tara
Well-known member
We have three primary use computers; two Android tablets, and a 17-inch Windows laptop that I assembled to use for finance related tasks only. The tablets serve for browsing, email and Amazon purchasing (not an insignificant use), while I use the laptop to keep our books, checking, stock transactions and all similar activities. In particular it does not see any communications related activities (email, notes, messages etc.). This machine, and its backups, are offline about 98% of the time.
Windows lost us at the Windows 10 system and their attempt to limit use to their software only. I would note that an inventory recently revealed three Windows 10 laptops, two additional Android tablets, and a Windows 7 laptop used to support karaoke, recording/editing and related musical activities (Tara is a singer).
Ernie
Windows lost us at the Windows 10 system and their attempt to limit use to their software only. I would note that an inventory recently revealed three Windows 10 laptops, two additional Android tablets, and a Windows 7 laptop used to support karaoke, recording/editing and related musical activities (Tara is a singer).
Ernie
