Going On Vacation? Pack Your Laptop

Travelers are taking laptops everywhere, even on vacation.

Laptop PC’s aren’t just for mobile workers anymore; they’re also for vacationers, according to a new Intel-sponsored study conducted by Harris Interactive.

Just over half (51 percent) of survey respondents say they’re likely to bring a laptop computer on a future vacation. Thirty-four percent report they’ve already done so.

Taking the laptop on vacation isn’t just for workaholic vacationers, though 43 percent do admit to sending and checking work-related email. The most popular use of a laptop while on vacation is to check personal email; 72 percent have checked or sent personal messages while on vacation.

A recent America Online survey on email addiction reports 60 percent of Americans check their email while on vacation, though 13 percent of the time it’s for business, 47 percent of the time for pleasure.

Beyond satisfying their email addiction, 56 percent of respondents also take advantage of their technology to go for entertainment purposes including: games, movies, and music.

Thirty percent use their laptop to view, edit, or send travel photos, and 45 percent of respondents used the laptop to gather online information about their trip while traveling.

“People are more reliant on their laptop to become their concierge,” Intel spokesperson Barbara Grimes told ClickZ.com.

A small number of travelers, eight percent, said they author a travel diary or blog while on the road.

Popular Laptop Uses on Vacation, June 2005
Uses (%)
Check/send personal email 72
Entertainment 56
Gather trip information online 45
Check/send work-related email 43
View, edit or send travel photos 30
Attend to personal finances 27
Use an instant messaging tool 27
Create a travel diary/Weblog 8
Other 15
Source: Intel, 2005

Sixty-two percent reported long battery life is high among desired laptop features while on vacation. Lightweight design is noted by 58 percent, and wireless Internet connectivity a must for 55 percent.

Intel also highlights the increasing availability of Wi-Fi (define) at various travel hotspots worldwide. Another recent Intel-sponsored Harris Interactive survey found that almost 20 percent of online adults have connected to the Internet via a wireless hotspot in a public location.

The survey polled 2,547 Americans adults between June 23 and June 30th, 2005.

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