I'm going to be doing some travelling next year and like the idea that the only "valuables" I'll be carrying will be my passport, credit card, and phone. I'll be leaving my clients with stable sites and they know to get their requests in early but inevitably something will come up. My MBP is a heavy brick and I normally work on a regular PC so I'd need to buy a device specifically for the trip. I'd need to be able to use a code editor, filezilla, gimp, and access files via dropbox. Does anyone use an iPad? Is a laptop my best/only option?
That's information I'm interested in hearing about myself. I designed my business for travel because I like to operate out of my RV. I always carry a laptop, a portable drive, and a mobile hotspot. I've found this to be a convenient mobile office arrangement for me but I sometimes wonder if I'd find other equipment setups more appropriate. One thing is that as old as I am I haven't yet gotten much beyond using my cell phone as a phone.
I don't program as I am a sales and marketing guy. However, that said, I have been using computers since the early 1990's and have even put up my own websites with html editors. I mostly work off of a laptop or desktop. However, a few years ago, we got a couple of ipads to have around the house, especially when we are watching TV. I find them to be utterly useless for anything that I want to do that requires a keyboard. Simple searches are difficult to do, the "keyboard" sucks, etc. There is also something about the system that seems to want an app to do something that I should just be able to do with a browser. These days, I use it to play a simple crossword game during TV commercials and not much else. if I need to search for something or check emails, I am back to the laptop. BTW, there are some very small, thin, and lightweight laptops these days and I have seen some devices that look like a cross between an ereader and a laptop that are even smaller, yet have a keyboard and reasonable sized screen.
I use my phone for a lot but an experience a couple of weekends ago with a client was "fun". Pulling my bike over in heavy traffic to try to work out how the front page of the site was munted and going through the CMS to fix was clumsy. I can't imagine doing actual coding on something so small - both screen and keyboard! I figure that's what I'll be going for, just checking I won't be overlooking anything. I had a very nice 13" HP a few years ago that fit discretely in my handbag.
Stay away from Lenovo ThinkPads. Some rocket scientist switched the location of the Fn and Ctrl keys in the lower lefthand corner. Hitting Ctrl-Alt-Del or Ctrl-C suddenly does not work by feel. Hate the one I just got from my day job.
I bought an Amazon Fire a couple years back that came with a Bluetooth keyboard. Didn't plan on using it for business but I did play with the keyboard a couple days. Found it way too small and it didn't seem to function well. I use a cordless keyboard for everything I need a keyboard for these days. Switch it back and forth from laptop to desktop. That solution doesn't fit extreme portability but it works fine for me when I'm traveling in the RV or the truck. Lately, I've been looking at the Microsoft surface. Not getting serious about it yet and want to research similar units when I do. But that looks like it could be a good fit for me.