Staying Connected

Let's talk, Tech.

With my travels fast approaching I'm almost finishing ticking off the 'biggies' on my to buy list.  Laptop, being number one and camera a close second (for another blog post).  Its worth mentioning I've not bought a laptop for the sole purpose of travelling; I am on a budget after all! - my old laptop came to the end of it's life in 2014... RIP.  So it's out with the old and in with the new YIPEE!
Now, despite what my current job as a radiographer might suggest, I am ironically a bit of a technophobe!  I don't seem to experience the thrill of buying or keeping particularly up - to - date with the latest gadgets and technology.  

However, as a Christmas present my family kindly gave me money for a new laptop, to take on my travels and to use when I'm back at home.  So I done a little research and decided upon the ASUS transformer book.  Sorted. Or, so I thought.  In  two separate stores the ASUS broke right in front of us.  Failing to power up once being clicked in, despite having been on charge - now, if this had happened only once I would still have gone ahead with my purchase, but it happened in two different stores so I couldn't trust it wasn't a flaw in the model.  My well organised plan of a quick 'in and out' shop was kaput, a whole day driving to different retail parks in and out of various stores ensued. 

***The final choice... HP Pavilion x360 11.6" ***

It appealed to me for several reasons

1. It's size - really portable for travelling

2. The 2 in 1 hybrid aspect; it can be used as a tablet & laptop

3. The Beats audio sound (it's not the loudest due to the laptop size, but it's got good sound quality and bass)

4. The USB ports - unlike most tablets it has 3 USB ports - perfect for connecting phone/camera whilst away.

5. Touchscreen functionality  

 I've been using it for almost a month now and I really do like this nifty little machine.  It has all the features of a laptop, but is more compact and has the 360 function + touchscreen to act as a tablet.  I'm looking forward to taking this on holiday with me at the end of the month and also on my Asia travels.  I think it's the perfect size to fit on a plane or bus table or to pop in my backpack.  Whilst it has been criticized for being thick & heavy for an 11.6" laptop I actually find it just sturdy enough for something that has to be so portable and travel with me a lot - I don't want anything too delicate and flimsy.  So the HP PAVILION x360 11.6" was my choice for travelling and so far it's a thumbs up from me! :-)  I bought mine from Tesco for £329 which I felt was a good deal for all you get with this fab hybrid!