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You may not be jetting across the country. Perhaps you're just walking over to the neighborhood coffee bistro. Either way, consider this article your laptop checklist.
Things to do before you go
Here are some things you should consider doing before you toddle off with your laptop:
- Charge the battery! In fact, this is probably something you want to do well in advance (like the night before you leave). If you're lucky enough to have a spare battery, charge it as well.
- Synchronize your laptop with your desktop.
- Back up your important files. The easy way to do this, if your laptop has a CD-R/RW drive, is to drag a copy of the My Documents folder from the laptop's hard drive to the CD-R/RW drive and then burn that disc. Keep the disc in a safe place (such as a fire safe).
- Remove any CDs or DVDs from the drive. This avoids having the drive spin into action when you start up on battery power. It also helps to put that disc with your other discs so that you don't forget about it or neglect it.
Where to sit?
Before visiting the counter to order your beverage and hard-as-fiberboard bread snack, scout out the entire café for a good place to sit.
You want a table, unless you think that it's fun to balance a laptop on your knees while you sit on a sofa or an old sack of Columbian coffee beans.
Grab a table that's either away from the windows or facing the windows. You want to avoid having that bright light from the windows reflecting on your laptop screen and washing everything out. (You can tilt the screen to avoid the glare when there's nowhere else to sit.)
 | Be mindful of high windows and skylights. As a sunny day grows long, the sun sweeps a slow swath of bright light across some tables. You don't want to be sitting at a table that's in the path of that moving shaft of light. |
When you really want to get work done, find a spot away from the door and away from the sales counter. Do the opposite if you prefer to be social.
Be a socket sleuth
Another important factor in determining where to sit is the presence of wall sockets. Without trying to look like you're searching for bombs, duck down and look under some tables or up against walls for a helpful AC power source.
When you find a power source, great! Grab that table.
If you want to be honest about things, inquire at the counter whether it's okay to plug in. Otherwise, just sneak a cord over the socket as nonchalantly as possible.
Note that not all the power sockets will be on. You can tell when you plug in: Your laptop doesn't alert you to the AC power presence and continues sucking down battery juice.
When you do manage to plug in, try to arrange the power cord so that no one trips over it. If someone does trip over your cord, expect expulsion.
Other tips 'n' stuff
It's always good to buy what they're selling when you're computing in a coffeehouse, diner, or café. Get a cup of coffee. Have a biscotti. Get a snack. The management at some places may enjoy having you there because it adds to the atmosphere, but these places are also in the business of making money. It has already been proven in court that they can throw you out for using their wireless networking without buying something, so buy something!
Remember this simple rule: No beverages near your computer! That goes double for the laptop, where the keyboard and computer are in the same box. If you want to drink and compute, get your beverage in a heavy, hard-to-topple, ceramic mug. Also, grab yourself a nice thick wad of napkins, Just In Case.
 | Never leave your laptop unattended! If you have to go potty, close down the laptop and put it away, or maybe even take it with you. Never leave your laptop unattended at the table. It will be stolen. |
Don't forget to pack a mouse in your laptop bag! The external mouse is very handy.
Sometimes you may be asked to leave or relocate, especially when you're taking up an entire booth all by yourself. Be knowledgeable about this situation in advance. If you see the place filling up, try to move to a smaller table or just pack up and leave.
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