Let’s face it, in terms of mobile computing, the laptop is still the closest approximation of the things that you can do with a regular desktop computer (sometimes it works even better). The whole point in the laptop is mobility. So what’s the point in getting one that you don’t bring with you. If you want to maximize mobility with your laptop, here are some tips on traveling with a laptop.

Always check your laptop’s warranty to determine what things are covered by the warranty.

Get a heavily padded carrying bag or case that can store everything you need. Personally, I prefer to slide by laptop in a carrying sleeve (I love the form-fitting space age foam) and then use my backpack with a padded laptop compartment. This offers me double the protection for my laptop from getting banged to bits.

When choosing a carrying case or bag, avoid using the free ones with the manufacturer’s name emblazoned on them. These just encourage theft. There are a lot of newer styles out there that disguise the item that you’re carrying.

Be sure to take all the peripherals that you need with you – power cables, external drives and connectivity cards and cables with you. Not all places have available wi-fi so carrying an ethernet cable or even a telephone cable (for your 56k modem) would be sensible.

Always bring an extra battery or consider investing in a long-life battery if you’re going to work somewhere you can’t plug in your power cables.

Speaking of power, be sure to have some plug adapters just in case you’re going to travel internationally. Oh, and be aware of the power requirements of your laptops. While newer laptop power cables do cater to different voltage requirements (from 100V to 240V), you still have to double-check lest you want want to fry your laptop.

Be sure to leave a backup of your data at home. You never know if shit would hit the fan while traveling. You might lose your laptop but at least your work will have a backup available.

Oh, a sensible tip too. Always leave some power available to boot up your laptop. Some airport and customs officials in some places might ask you to boot it up to confirm that it really is a laptop. Cautious of x-rays? Ask for a manual inspection instead.

Upon arriving to your destination, you might want to change the date and time settings too. Or better yet, just install QClock to give you multiple clocks for different time zones.