Laptops on Public Transport

Creamy Goodness · 21-03-2006 12:57am #1

hey guys,

i was just coming home on the dart there around 5:30/6:00 rush hour as you know and saw a guy with his laptop out doing work on it.

so my quick question to you guys is... would you consider doing this?/do you already frequently do this?/think it's insane?

answers on a virtual postcard...

tba · 21-03-2006 1:28am

Was he doing work or showing off his new laptop?

aidan_walsh · 21-03-2006 2:03am

If it was a long journey (> 1 hour), then why not? On a commute home, no. I'll stick in my mp3 player and catch up on the weeks podcasts instead.

gilroyb · 21-03-2006 2:06am

I'd rather keep my laptop for a while so would never take it out on public transport. Now that I think about it I would be more willing to use it on the dart than on the bus, but it would be easier to steal it on the Dart. Either way, if you have it out once you get out you've made yourself a target

tba · 21-03-2006 2:26am

Creamy Goodness · 22-03-2006 12:28am

tba wrote:

Was he doing work or showing off his new laptop?

well i don't know what he was doing with it but he didn't take it out of a cardboard box if that's what you mean.

Sparky · 22-03-2006 1:22am

I think he meant, that he was showing his laptop off, and maybe pretending to do work on it.
I personally feel uncomfortable using a laptop on public transport ie dart, dublin bus, but i have used it on a bus down to Waterford. I felt safer using then because it was a long journey and i was near the rear of the bus, and there was high seats.

rainbow kirby · 22-03-2006 2:34am

I've never used my laptop on public transport... but I've seen a few people on the 17 to UCD on the mornings using theirs. Usually arts students trying to finish essays in a hurry

godtabh · 22-03-2006 8:44am

I've used it on inter city trains and planes.

Planes were usually for passing the time watching dvds playing games etc.

On trains I've used it for work to prepare for meetings or what not

Lump · 22-03-2006 9:32am

Travelling is such a waste of time, so for sure I would, do something with it. They're starting to offer Wi-Fi on virgin trains over here too!

John

SouperComputer · 22-03-2006 10:17am

ive used my PDA on buses alright. Not sure id be whipping the powerbook out on the DART though!

omahony99 · 22-03-2006 10:30am

One very frustrating train journey involved sitting across from a dorky looking couple watching some animated cartoon on their laptop with the volume up as they had no earphones. Plus they were kissing and cuddling every 2 minutes during it. They must have mistook the train for a cinema. It took an hour of me giving them dirty looks before they stopped.

Judt · 22-03-2006 11:39am

I wouldn't do it on busses and shorthaul city trains. On long journeys sure, and certainly aircraft and the like (Atlantic flights you can't live without it, and if they have wifi onboard all the better.)

youcancallmeal · 22-03-2006 11:45am

I seen a guy using a laptop on a bicycle before, twas funny :eek:

Static M.e. · 22-03-2006 12:09pm

If the journey was 30 Min + and I had enough room I would use the laptop.

Short Journeys, packed dart / bus then iriver etc

Sneaky_Russian · 22-03-2006 12:21pm

video on your PDA .......great for passing the Time.
http://tcpmp.corecodec.org/download
http://divx.ppccool.com/

netwhizkid · 22-03-2006 1:01pm

Aren't the new Inter-City trains here also supposed to have Wi-Fi Connectivity? I think I read it some where on platform11 about 6months ago. Then again they were supposed to be ruinning last September, I haven't seen them come to the Kingdom yet anyway.

WillieDH · 22-03-2006 1:22pm

On planes - do it all the time

Trains - yeah if I was going to belfast / cork / limerick

Bus, Dart or Arrow - NO

Capt'n Midnight · 22-03-2006 1:39pm

youcancallme>al wrote:

I seen a guy using a laptop on a bicycle before, twas funny :eek:

I seen on TV a guy in the states on a recumberant trike who had ripped a MAC laptop apart and put the screen on the handle bars and was using solar power to run it.

was working on web design or jorunalist or something , all tele commuting /ENVY

whizzbang · 22-03-2006 5:33pm

Long train journeys yes
Planes, not enough room to open the lid! we always travel air tinker class.
Dart, not likely unless something was seriously urgent, with that I'd spent most of the time giving dodgy look people the evil eye.

Lump · 22-03-2006 7:39pm

If anyone ever watched a movie with the volume up next to me, I'd say it!!!

John

tba · 22-03-2006 7:41pm

I i knew the moviw ell I would start quoting the lines just before they happened

rsynnott · 23-03-2006 12:06am

I've done it on the intercity. Passes the time.

SeanW · 23-03-2006 4:55am

netwhizkid wrote:

Aren't the new Inter-City trains here also supposed to have Wi-Fi Connectivity? I think I read it some where on platform11 about 6months ago. Then again they were supposed to be ruinning last September, I haven't seen them come to the Kingdom yet anyway.

Well, I'm a member of Platform 11 and a regular on it's forum and I can tell you quite certainly that Wi-Fi will not be on the new trains, which BTW will not be going to Kerry although those who change at Mallow will benefit.

It would cost an absolute bundle to provide Wi-Fi on a moving train and even then, a connection could not be guaranteed under tunnels and whatnot.

It would be far more practical to install a Wi-Fi hotspot at major Intercity terminii, I think Eircom already has one at Heuston, if I'm not mistaken.

Lump · 23-03-2006 7:49am

Surely they'd just put repeaters every mile. Expensive but worth it

John

Maxwell · 23-03-2006 8:19am

This is Ireland remember, it won't happen for a long,long time.

SouperComputer · 23-03-2006 9:51am

they could run a "backbone" along the tracks and then use AP's in the carriges that want wifi in.

Problem then is that you have feckers trying to poach broadband from the tracks!

whizzbang · 23-03-2006 10:00am

Yep, they have the backbone alright but how many people would use it? especially when you know they will charge €1 a minute!?!

As for poaching I think they shoudl allow people to use their wifi access for a price! they already have fiber ruinning through some of he most unDSLed parts of the country!

J

whizzbang · 23-03-2006 10:01am

I saw wifi access available on the National Express last weekend, wifi on a bus?! how far are we from that?!

SouperComputer · 23-03-2006 10:54am

whizzbang wrote:

Yep, they have the backbone alright but how many people would use it? especially when you know they will charge €1 a minute!?!

As for poaching I think they shoudl allow people to use their wifi access for a price! they already have fiber ruinning through some of he most unDSLed parts of the country!

J

valid point, I was just highlighting a way it could be done.

By poaching I mean people trying to steal the signal from the backbone running along the track!

Oriel · 23-03-2006 11:06am

I'm in the North and the only place it's do it would be the Enterprise down to Dublin. It would need to be a very quiet train for me to do it anywhere else. I think privacy would be the main issue. I wish laptops had a "privacy" mode, during which the screen would act like a cash machine monitor and only display at about a 20 degree angle.

S.

whizzbang · 23-03-2006 11:25am

SouperComputer wrote:

valid point, I was just highlighting a way it could be done.

By poaching I mean people trying to steal the signal from the backbone running along the track!

true, you never know the lengths people will do to to get free stuff!

whizzbang · 23-03-2006 11:26am

sinecurea wrote:

I'm in the North and the only place it's do it would be the Enterprise down to Dublin. It would need to be a very quiet train for me to do it anywhere else. I think privacy would be the main issue. I wish laptops had a "privacy" mode, during which the screen would act like a cash machine monitor and only display at about a 20 degree angle.

S.

I think you can get filters for your laptop that allow that? something like this? http://www.secure-it.com/shop/index.php/cPath/38_41

J

Laptops on Public Transport

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