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Had a chat with a guy at a co-working space in Bangkok who made me rethink my whole gear setup
He was hauling around this beat-up 2015 laptop with a cracked screen, said he focused on internet cafe speed not fancy hardware. Made me realize I spent $2,300 on a travel laptop I barely use because I'm always on hostel wifi anyway. Any of you ever downsized your tech and felt lighter for it?
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angelamurphy6d ago
The guy you met is onto something but you're missing the point a bit. That 2015 laptop with a cracked screen isn't just about saving money, it's about not caring if it gets stolen or drops off a scooter in Bangkok traffic. I downgraded from a MacBook Pro to a used $300 Chromebook and the real weight loss was mental. I stopped wrapping it in bubble wrap and hiding it under my pillow every time I left the hostel. Turns out having a machine that costs less than a plane ticket makes you actually use it in weird coffee shops without sweating bullets. Your $2300 laptop is a liability, not a tool.
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adam4146d ago
Exactly. You're paying for worry not for performance.
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the_felix6d ago
Oh man, this reminds me of my buddy Dave who did a whole motorcycle trip through Vietnam and Laos. He bought a used ThinkPad for like $150 from some shop in Hanoi, thing had duct tape holding the battery in. He'd just leave it on the hostel bed while he went out for pho, totally unbothered. Meanwhile I was on the trip with a brand new ultrabook and spent half my time stressed about where I left it or if the humidity was gonna mess it up. That cheap laptop outlasted the whole trip and he sold it for $80 to another traveler when he left.
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