Ok so i am suggesting that a portable office is possible, and that it is a great idea. As with most things this is something that should not be discussed from a by standers point of view. Which is exactly what i want to share today, that i am not just a by stander saying this is here you should do this. I am discussing having a portable office, that allows me to work with no fixed office.
What i wanted to do today was to share with you what i have included in my portable office. Just really to not only give you an idea of what i need to make this possible for myself but also to show you that what i am talking about is possible. so with out any more chatter here is the line up.
The Laptop – Toshiba Satellite A100, running Windows XP Professional. I purchased this laptop just over 2 years ago, at the time i beleive i paid about $1,600 and there was a memory upgrade included, however the same specification laptop now would be closer to $1,000 i believe.
The Printer – Hewlett Packard CB460 Colour Inkjet portable printer. Again purchased about 2 years ago, this printer will give A4 page print outs in Mono or Colour, using standard ink cartridges. Running on a Rechargable battery, this even though so far not used a lot is probably one of the better investments in printers i have made. I paid about $500 for this printer and you can get a similar model for similar price still.
Mobile Broardband – I am connected for mobile boardband with Vodafone, i pay about $40 per month for a reasonable download limit and unlimited hours. I have has this access now for probably 6 months and i am not quite sure what i did before i had it. The time that i spend out and about now is so much more productive.
Carry Case – The Case i use is made by US Luggage, it is really an overnight bag, however it was perfect for what i wanted with a seperate opening to put in and remove my laptop. The area normally left for a night worth of clothes, holds the printer neatly, and there is plenty of room for cables or other accessories i may need plus room for papers or a book if needed. Due to the weight that all of this may add up to it does have good wheels as well. I paid around $180 for the case but it met my needs so the money was a big problem.
External Drive – Maxtor 40Gb One Touch Back-up Drive. An essential item to keep handy for a daily back-up, makes it easy to keep the most important files backed-up and safe on a daily basis. At the time i purchased this it was around $150, however the price of external drives has come down greatly and capacities have increased, so there are some better prices around now.
So really i have spent around $2,300-$2,400 all up in getting set-up, however this is probably more in the middle of the range, while it could be easy to spend over $5,000 getting setup it is possible to keep it under $1,500 if you spend wisely. Plus as i set-out to prove this really is all you need to get started, except maybe a mobile phone.