After years of trying and failing to force an iPad or Android tablet to work like a laptop when I travel, I have finally found what I think is going to be my perfect travel computer. The 12″ MacBook. I ordered a refurbished unit from Amazon last Friday and it was delivered Saturday morning. I’ve been using it since then and I am almost giddy about how much I like this laptop!

If you have been following my gadget diary posts for any length of time, you’ve probably grown tired of my whining every time I travel. I either moan about how my laptop is too bulky to carry through an airport or I cry about how my tablet won’t do Gmail the way I want in full desktop mode.

I’ve even annoyed myself year after year when I complain about the same issues. But it looks like I can move on thanks to Dave Rees and a some of you who have told me to check out the 12″ MacBook. I decided not to splurge for a brand new one but did like Dave had done and bought a refurb. He bought his through Swappa and I opted to order through Amazon’s Warehouse Deals.

With refurbs, you can end up with some scratches, dents or other wear and tear, but the one I ordered is perfect as far as I can tell.

Compared to the early 2015 13″ MacBook Pro that I’ve been using for over a year, the 12″ MacBook feels like an iPad when it comes to weight and size. The MacBook only weighs 2 lbs compared to the almost 3.5 lb MacBook Pro. 1.5 lb doesn’t sound like a lot, but it really makes a big difference to me.

I was concerned that the display and especially the keyboard would feel too tiny, but that hasn’t been the case at all. I’m completely happy with the display. It is a retina display after all.

The keyboard and trackpad feel very roomy. More so than I had anticipated. The keys on the keyboard are even a little larger than the keys on my MBP, but they don’t stick up as high. That took a little getting used to, but it didn’t bother me for more than an hour or so. Now I can touch type as fast as I do on other keyboards.

Yesterday I decided to order a Type-C dock adapter with HDMI, pass-through charging, and a USB-A port so I could hook the MB up to my 29″ LG monitor like I’ve done with the 13″ MBP using a LandingZone Dock. You might be thinking “Julie, why are you connecting this laptop up to a monitor when you’re just going to use it when you travel?” Good question! It’s because I am about 90% sure I’m going to make the 12″ MacBook my main/only computer. That’s right. I like it so much that I don’t think I even need my 13″ MBP any longer.

The Travel Inspira USB-C to HDMI Hub works great! It only offers HDMI and one USB-A port, but that’s fine. I don’t really plug that many USB devices into my computer anyway.

The HDMI output with this adapter is fantastic and looks better/sharper than my 13″ MBP using the LandingZone Dock’s HDMI connection.

I’ve installed almost all of the apps that I use on a regular basis: Photoshop, Chrome, iMovie, Garageband, Wondershare Filmora, OpenOffice, FileZilla, Canon EOS Utility, TypeIt4Me and more. So far I’ve not noticed any real lag or sluggishness from the MacBook’s mobile processor.  I haven’t done any video editing yet though…

I’m really happy with the 12″ MacBook and plan to use it for the next couple of weeks to see if there’s any reason why it can’t be my main computer. If it succeeds which I think it will, I’ll be selling my MBP.

Now I need to find a new bag to carry the 12″ MacBook. It’s kind of like when you get new rugs or carpet in your house and all of a sudden your couch looks shabby It’s time for a new bag too.

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Julie’s gadget diary – I have finally found my perfect travel computer originally appeared on on April 10, 2017 at 5:57 pm.

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I had to take Jeanne to the hospital this morning for surgery to have her gallbladder removed. I went back and forth last night trying to decide if I wanted to lug my 13″ MacBook Pro with me, my Samsung Galaxy S Tab 10.5 or just my phone which is currently the LG G6 which I’m reviewing.

But I knew that I wanted to do a little Gadgeteer writing while I was waiting for her surgery to finish, so I didn’t want to just rely on my phone. So the internal struggle was really just about the full sized MBP laptop and the Android tablet.

I ended up leaving the MBP at home and took the Galaxy S Tab. I really enjoy the S Tab, but that’s only when I’m playing on it. By “playing”, I mean a few games of Words with Friends, catching up on my Feedly RSS feeds, Instagram, and stuff like that.

When I tired of those tasks and decided that I wanted to dig into some email reading and writing, and Gadgeteer writing, I started getting a little frustrated with the tablet’s lack of a physical keyboard. I even complained in real time about it with Dave Rees via Google Hangouts.

If you read the chat transcript above (click for a bigger view), you can see that I had a few typos. That’s because tablet touch style keyboards are a  big pain in the… fingers! I’m a really good touch typist, but only on a physical keyboard.

It’s great to be able to share the same first world problems over and over again with Dave. Let’s just say that after years of being friends, he just gets me when it comes to gadgets. Probably because he keeps dealing with the same issues as far as the best devices for travel.

My problem is that I really want to make a tablet work for me and just can’t seem to let go of that dream. I continue to revisit this same question every year about this time. What’s so special about this time of year? It’s a few weeks before our first vacation which we always take in May. Vacations require planning. Jeanne plans where we’ll go and planning for me involves the gear that I plan to take with me.

I’ve tried the iPad Pro, a Windows Surface Pro, and a Samsung Galaxy S Tab. It’s time to FINALLY find an ultra light weight laptop with a full sized keyboard that lets me use the laptop on my lap and not just on a table.

Although I’m not a huge fan of Windows 10, I can deal with it if the solution is a better buy than Dave’s suggestion of a used 12″ MacBook.

It’s time to start researching options before I run out of time before the trip. Wish me luck!

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Julie’s gadget diary – Thinking about buying a new laptop (or tablet) for my next trip originally appeared on on April 6, 2017 at 3:56 pm.

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Jeanne and I were parked on the couch enjoying our usual Saturday morning ritual of oatmeal, hot tea, feet up on the coffee table and MacBook Pros on our laps. She was surfing for vacation ideas and I was working on Gadgeteer stuff when the phone rang.

The person on the other end had a thick accent that sounded like an unlikely combination of Scottish and Nigerian said “My name is Jack and I’m calling from Microsoft to let you know that your computer is infected.”

“It is?” I said sounding completely horrified.

“You don’t want to lose your computer do you?” Jack asked.

“No, no I don’t. What do I do?”

“Is your computer in front of you now?” He asked.

“Yes, help me please.”

“Is your computer powered on?”

“Yes.” I said.

“What do you see on the screen?” He asked me.

“Porn,” I said. It was the first crazy answer that popped into my mind. Not sure what that says about me so don’t judge!

Silence…

“Are you there?” I asked Jack.

“Hold please…” He said.

“I need help. Don’t leaaaaaaaave me.” I wailed.

“Hold please…” He said again.

A few seconds passed…

“Hello. My name is Jack and I’m calling from Microsoft…”

“You already told me this.” I said. “How do I fix my computer?”

“What do you see on your screen right now?” He asked.

“Porn”

“What?” he asked.

“Porn” I replied.

CLICK. The phone went dead.

You know it’s going to be an awesome weekend when you’re able to make a scammer hang up on YOU instead of the other way around!

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Julie’s gadget diary – Fun with scammers originally appeared on on March 11, 2017 at 11:44 am.

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