Thursday, March 23, 2023

A Travel Rig Daydream

The latest iteration of my travel computing rig is pretty much complete:

  • Chromebook
  • Travel monitor
  • Ergonomic mouse w/mousepad
  • Compact (but supposedly, and really mostly, "full-size") keyboard
  • SD card with my "used frequently" files/templates
  • Assorted cables, etc.
Workable.

But I was just daydreaming about an ideal travel rig in light of current technology.

By "current technology," I mostly mean that a lot of things (quick email checks, for example) can now be done on my Android smart phone, so there's not really any need to break out the laptop while e.g. sitting at an airport waiting to get on the plane. And at least at the moment, most flights don't seem to offer Internet access (let alone at no silly surcharge), so I don't need the laptop in flight either. I'm really carrying the computer gear to set up on a desk or table at my destination, not to try to use while in transit.

Also by "current technology," I mean that projectors which can be connected to a computer keep getting more compact.

So, my "ideal travel" rig could be:

  • My actual desktop PC (approximate dimensions: 4.5"x5.5"x1.75")
  • One or two "mini projectors" (dimensions of one candidate: 5.51"x3.78"x2.13")*
  • Mouse, mousepad, keyboard, SD card, cables, etc.
The asterisk on the projectors reflects my incomplete research on whether I can use software, and either dual input ports or an HDMI switch, to do "split screen" and run two monitor outputs through one projector.

So: Get where I'm going, find a desk or table with a blank wall behind it, set up, and my "monitors" are just projected on the wall.

I haven't measured my Chromebook and travel monitor carefully, but I suspect the rig described above (even if it requires two projectors) would take up less space, probably weigh less, and let me have "full-size monitors" instead of a small travel monitor screen and even smaller Chromebook screen. Hell, I might even set up that way at home and retire my two 19" Insignia television "monitors."

Have any of you tried anything like this? If so, what are your impressions of how well it works.

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