Mobile Office Solutions

Hello,
I work at a home office mostly on the computer. Now I want to be able
to work on the road. I've done the following:

1. I'm getting a Dell laptop with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and planning on
signing up for a T-Mobile Hotspot account for internet connection on
the road.

2. I'm also getting a wireless router so the laptop can get Internet
access at home through my exising DSL modem.

Now I need to take care of the data synchronization:

- I've previously configured all my application data (outlook,
dreamweaver, office, I.E. Favorites ect...) to save their data in a
section of my local drive on the desktop at home, let's say C:\Data

Now I want to be able to access and update the same data on the
laptop. What would be the best solution?

a. Get an external hard-dirve ( ie. F:\) and configure the application
data on both the laptop and the desktop to save their stuff on
F;\Data. Everytime I use either the laptop or the desk top, I'd need
to plug in the external hard drive.

b. Move the data location to the laptop and configure the application
data on the desktop to point to it through the LAN network at home
(everytime I want to use the desktop, the laptop has to be connected
to the LAN)

c. Move everything onto the laptop and forget about synchronizing it
with the desktop. Use the laptop to work at home as well. Save the
desktop for testing purposes....

Which one do you think is best??

I'm leaning toward option (C) right now. If so, wonder if I could
split the screeen and use the 18" desktop screen on the laptop. I'm
doing this right now with the desktop computer.

Thanks for your input

go with c and get one of the kvm switches , they are like $ 25 bucks now.

"duckjibe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hello,
> I work at a home office mostly on the computer. Now I want to be able
> to work on the road. I've done the following:
>
> 1. I'm getting a Dell laptop with Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and planning on
> signing up for a T-Mobile Hotspot account for internet connection on
> the road.
>
> 2. I'm also getting a wireless router so the laptop can get Internet
> access at home through my exising DSL modem.
>
> Now I need to take care of the data synchronization:
>
> - I've previously configured all my application data (outlook,
> dreamweaver, office, I.E. Favorites ect...) to save their data in a
> section of my local drive on the desktop at home, let's say C:\Data
>
> Now I want to be able to access and update the same data on the
> laptop. What would be the best solution?
>
> a. Get an external hard-dirve ( ie. F:\) and configure the application
> data on both the laptop and the desktop to save their stuff on
> F;\Data. Everytime I use either the laptop or the desk top, I'd need
> to plug in the external hard drive.
>
> b. Move the data location to the laptop and configure the application
> data on the desktop to point to it through the LAN network at home
> (everytime I want to use the desktop, the laptop has to be connected
> to the LAN)
>
> c. Move everything onto the laptop and forget about synchronizing it
> with the desktop. Use the laptop to work at home as well. Save the
> desktop for testing purposes....
>
> Which one do you think is best??
>
> I'm leaning toward option (C) right now. If so, wonder if I could
> split the screeen and use the 18" desktop screen on the laptop. I'm
> doing this right now with the desktop computer.
>
> Thanks for your input

Another solution is to purchase a cheep xxx mb memory unit/stick/dongle. One that can be plugged
into your USB port. There are a bunch of different types. Some look like a pen or small stick
storage units. They are generally plug-n-play & hot-swap, you just treat it as a diskette/hardfile,
copy/store your data, move it to the other machine,, yadiyadiyadi...

If you have a digital camera,, you already have the hardware & process,, you only need check to see
if it has enough storage to move the data your after.. I use my Microtech USB digital Compact Flash
film reader and my 512mb Type II Microdrive. The caveat with my setup is, I have to format the
Microdrive WITH MY camera,, to get it set to store pictures,, after I move data. I rarely syn
files,, so it's not a big thing..

This is a cheap alternative and might seam a little clumsy.. Setting up your office software to
synchronize the various files via shared links would be easer,, but take more set-up..

Some of desktops and laptops can also do the data syn via IR ports.. Some come with the syn software
built in..

Good Luck
Jim
An Old Parrot Head,
In the Conch Republic,
Just South of Reality