So many electronic devices

And once again I’m up too late.

And no, so far I’ve done nothing regarding adjusting to the coming jet lag.  Oh well.

Every time I think of what needs to get packed, I’m stunned at how much gadgetry I want to take along.  To the point where I want to take things along I don’t even own (really would love a GPS device right now).

My big laptop is a given, to me.  Even though people are baffled as to why.  But in the end, I do intend to put in at least a few productive days of work from the road, so I really can’t not have it along.

Thank goodness I don’t have a netbook, or I’d want to bring that too.  Actually, I do have one, but I don’t use it enough (it’s really too small for my chunky fingers) to really consider it worth bringing.

That doesn’t mean I don’t plan on bringing: iPad, iPod touch, each of our regular iPods, Luscious’ netbook (though she’s considering the big laptop as well, since she’ll be gone for nearly 3 months), each of our Blackberry phones, one camera (oh yeah, wanting to have a little video camera, like a Flip), Luscious’ Clie since that’s the only thing we have that makes tracking WW Points easy…

And all the batteries, chargers, cables, connectors, headsets, earbuds, and memory cards that that whole collection demands.

Somehow I’m convinced I’m forgetting something.  GoLite?

And now to set up the various cell phone plan changes we’ll want.  The global data plan, for sure, that worked fairly well for Luscious in Bali, and should be even more useful in Europe.  Not sure what we’ll do about actual phone calls, since even with the international roaming plan, they’re about $1 per minute.  So to be used extremely sparingly.  Also, outgoing text messages are 50 cents.  Ouch.  I’m hoping that with the data plan I’ll be able to use Skype from the phone (Luscious wasn’t able to use it on the phone in Bali, but I think that was more of an installation problem.  At least I hope)

Oh, of the slightly more absurd options I’ve considered in terms of hardware to drag around is our Ooma VOIP phone.  Well, we’d have free calls to anywhere as long as we had broadband access…  But since it would need to be plugged in, that’s a little too limiting.  Would be different with wireless.

Which makes me wonder if there’s a data plan that allows tethering that we could use internationally.  I know I’ll want to set Luscious up to tether again when she goes to Oak Harbor later this summer, since the dial-up at her parents’ place is pretty awful, even for dial-up.

So…  right now, bed.  Tomorrow, chat with Verizon people and hope I get someone with a fair bit of experience.

Tags: athome, cables, gadgets, packing, preparations, verizon