Have you ever seen one of those book safes that’s hollow inside so you can hide important stuff? I want a travel laptop small enough to hide inside a magazine:
That’s part of my latest post for the WePC campaign, which is as much about laptop security as portability. This is because people are fond of stealing my shit.
Please go read, and tell me what you think. Am I being paranoid? I’m hoping I’m not the only one who feels anxious using expensive equipment in public — especially in a foreign country where your laptop may be equal to, say, the average annual salary.
Mighty Girl 
But Maggie, it’ll always look like you’re looking at a centerfold! Vertical screen, darling, vertical screen.
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I hear you, Maggie. I’m often in developing countries for work, with laptop, and have purposely bought a “non-computer bag” computer bag, so that it doesn’t look like I’m carrying one around. I rarely use my computer in public. It’s not sensitive to the local culture, and it’s not worth being targeted for being robbed.
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You know about netbooks, right? While they’re not as nifty as a magazine laptop case, they *are* much smaller and cheaper than laptops, and have basic internet functionality (and built-in webcams).
see, e.g., here: http://gigaom.com/2008/09/01/choosing-a-netbook-a-guide/
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yowzuh
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Callie, I do know about netbooks, but I don’t need/want a clamshell with a screen that flips up. I’m willing to sacrifice some functionality for the weight-reduction and subtlety of a tablet.
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Lori, do you guys have sensitivity training on the use of technology in developing countries, or is that just a common sense thing? I’d love to hear if you have any official guidelines about it, because it does seem arrogant, to say the least.
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