[extropy-chat] The Business of Protecting Your Own Finances

[Robert Bradbury]

Anna,

You might wish to consider switching to Linux.  Ubuntu is not particularly
hard to install (very user friendly) and should help to protect you from
many of the problems running around on the Net.  You should try to find a
computer which comes without Windows pre-installed (this should save you
some money).  If you like I can even send you a Ubuntu CD that you can test
on your own computer.  (Many Linuxes come with what is now called a "LiveCD"
capability which allows you to boot the system off of the CD to test it).

The nice thing about switching to Linux is that the software generally
becomes "free" and you have many fewer people trying to hack into your
system.

Natasha,

I'd suggest you may want to consider switching to a model of "take your
data" and not "take your computer".  Unless you absolutely need to use your
computer on the plane (which isn't an ideal work environment and currently
isn't net-enabled) this may be a much better model.

You can get a 1-2GB USB Flash Drive and put all of you data on it and then
take it whereever you need it.  I can take my Flash Drive which has most of
my important files, bookmarks and even a suite of programs like Firefox and
OpenOffice on it and plug it in at the library and use it fine (without the
hassle of lugging a laptop around).  You want to keep in mind that 1-2GB is
10x the amount of storage one commonly had on a laptop less than a decade
ago.  (That's enough capacity to hold several hundred *really* large
powerpoint applications with a lots of high resolution embedded graphics and
still have lots of room to spare).

I'm moderately sure I could plug such a drive into almost any modern
computer and use it.  It works comfortably on any modern windows (Win2K, ME,
XP, etc.) as well as any relatively modern Linux systems and I presume the
latest releases of the Mac.

Many hotels now have business cubicles you can use or even public access
computers directly connected to the net.  (For example the last Holiday Inn
I was at I used the computer near the front desk for a couple of hours (cost
= $0) and copied the information I wanted to save directly into a post to
myself using Gmail.)

You may want to think about what aspects of the net you really need as I
think many people are moving towards devices, e.g. Blackberry's, etc. which
allow simple Email, Web browsing, etc. without having to lug around a
laptop.  Unless you absolutely have to sit in a room which does not normally
have a computer w/ net access (perhaps in a conference for days on end???)
it may not make sense.  I'm beginning to see lugging around a laptop as an
increasingly less attractive option vs. a small general purpose device + all
my data on a high density storage device.

Robert
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