I’ve made a few changes to my technology travel bag from last year.
My loadout for ASHP Midyear 2014 consisted of a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro ultrabook, a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, and a Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone.
I’ve since sold my Surface Pro 3 (SP3) and replaced my Galaxy S5. The SP3 was a great machine, but at the time I felt that I needed a better mobile keyboard experience. In hindsight, it was the wrong move. I used the SP3 to take handwritten notes, mark up PDFs, etc, and I desperately miss the active digitizer and pen support. I hope to remedy that problem with a Surface Pro 4 at some point in the near future.
My Galaxy S5 was a great phone. It went everywhere I went for more than a year, at times acting as my only “computerâ€. I used it for obvious things like calls, text messages, emails, etc – as well as to play games, listen to music, take photos, check my social media feeds, and so on. I’ve recently replaced it with a Samsung Note 5.
This year’s ASHP Midyear loadout will include:
- Yoga 2 Pro– Same as last year. The Y2P will act as my primary workhorse. I will be using it to compose blog posts and manage photos and videos that I capture while walking around the exhibit hall. The only difference from last year is an upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10.
- Toshiba Encore 2 Write – Remember above when I said that I missed having a Windows tablet with active digitizer and pen support? Well, the Encore 2 Write is my solution for the time being. The Write will likely go with me everywhere I go while I’m at Midyear. It’s small and light enough that I can carry it around, it offers great pen support for note taking, and has just enough horsepower to be productive. It does not replace the SP3, but it’ll do for now.
- Note 5 – I’ve been wanting to try a Note for a while. Finally pulled the trigger, and I don’t regret it for a second. The Note 5 is big, beautiful, well made, fast, the screen is crystal clear and bright, the camera is second to none, the pen experience is phenomenal, and the battery life is good. What can I say, the Note 5 is the best smartphone I’ve ever owned. Period. I’ll be using it to manage my calendar, make calls, send texts, read and respond to emails, etc. I will also be using it to take photos and videos when possible. Not to mention that I’ll be using it to take handwritten notes. It’s possible that I will leave the Write in my room and try to go it alone with the Note 5. I see no reason why I shouldn’t try.
In addition to the three machines above, I’ll also be carrying various cables, adapters, and external chargers for my smartphone.
And there you have it, my ASHP Midyear 2015 technology loadout.