Taking the net to India -part 1	Page 1 2 3

Modems

©neoncarrot

Unless you buy something truly ancient, most laptops should come with a built in modem. Try to make sure the modem is fairly up to date, with a 56kbps V90 protocol preferred. If the laptop has no internal modem, check that one can be fitted or use a card modem that fits in the PCMCIA slot found on many laptops. An internal modem is obviously better as an external box and power supply means more to carry around.

	©neoncarrot
	Wafer thin but not cheap, the Thinmodem for Handspring PDAs.

Some Palm models now come with a built in modem, although these tend to be the more expensive ones. There are 3rd party modems made to fit most models that don’t come with one. They snap onto the bottom of the device in the case of Palm devices, or slip into the expansion slot of Handspring models. The Thinmodem for Handspring is tiny, fitting flush with the back of the device and draws power from the Handspring device. The Springport modem is larger, owing to the fact it carries its own power in the form of 3 AAA cells. A self powered modem such as this is probably a better bet, as drawing power from the PDA will quickly flatten batteries. Some of the modems also come with built in data storage space on the flash card, useful for backing up the important documents, although a separate, larger flash card (covered later in this series of articles) to do this is recommended.

Batteries and power for laptops

Laptops come with rechargeable batteries and a charger that doubles as a power adapter. Unless you are from the US or Japan, you should have no problems with your adapter, which are generally "universal" and work with 100V power, or the 220/240V used in Europe and India. Those from the US or Japan, who have older laptop models may have to get hold of another power adapter if theirs does not support use at 240V, although I am told most modern machines sold in the US come with "switchable" power units that will take anything from 100 - 240 volts. Charged laptop batteries vary enormously in how long they allow you to work unplugged from the mains; anything from 1 hour to 6 hours, depending on the type and which applications are being used. The best are probably Lithium Ion types, which come with most modern laptops. They are not prone to the ‘memory’ effect that plagued older rechargeables.

If you buy a second-hand computer, check the battery condition is good, as most have a life of only 2 or 3 years if used extensively or are allowed to lie around discharged.

Spare laptop batteries are generally pricey if you buy the manufacturers brand; something around 100 UKP is common. Its probably a good idea to travel with one spare.

Power for palm devices

Palm and Handspring devices come in 2 forms; those with built in rechargeables, and those that take Alkaline batteries. The models with rechargeables tend to be the more expensive ones, and have the disadvantage that the batteries are fixed into the unit, so you cant carry a spare. They are usually charged while sitting in the cradle (included with the purchase) either via the mains, or the USB port of the computer. I personally favour the models that take alkaline batteries (usually AAA type). Although this means buying batteries, they last fairly well; about 2 weeks for typical use, and reduce the reliance on mains power – always a worthwhile consideration in India given the often erratic power supply.

Rechargeable options

With some models it is possible to use rechargeable AAA batteries. NiCad rechargeables are not worth the effort, but the newer NiMh batteries deliver almost as much online time as Alkaline batteries. *NOTE: Check that the model of PDA you have will use NiMh first, as some models explicitly state they are NOT compatible and may damage the device.

©neoncarrot

If you do go the Palm device route, make sure to take plenty of fresh, good quality AAA batteries from home as they are not so common in India, although that is changing. Also many you do find in shops outside the big cities are "fakes" which have a fraction of the life of Duracell ultra or equivalent. Buy the best you can; longer battery life obviously reduces the number you have to carry. Although they are quite expensive for good makes, I have found that looking around the big high street consumer electronics chains in the UK will usually land a "special offer" of 2 for the price of 1 on packs of 10.

Part 2 page 1: connection tools >>

Part 2 in this series will be added to the site around beginning Sep 2003. If you have any comments or spot any inaccuracies, please drop me an email.

Some useful links