It’s an iconic image isn’t it? BUT have you ever seen anyone working on a laptop at the beach? Me neither… and with good reason too, it just isn’t practical. But when Ally asked me to solve the problem of using her laptop outdoors in the sunshine in the back yard, at the beach AND on the mountain, I discovered that it IS possible.
Most laptops and tablets have highly reflective screens to bring out the best in detail and colour but this makes them unusable in bright light. Solving the first problem makes the second a bigger issue.
- Reflection
- Look for shade. It gets you out of doors but make sure to wear dark clothing and sit against a dark background to avoid light bouncing onto the screen. An umbrella can work.
- Anti-glare Laptop Screen Protector
screen this is the cheapest solution. These can be difficult to apply but with a bit of patience they will make a significant difference. The downside will be that you will need to increase the brightness to overcome the darker screen, leading to….a shorter battery life.
- Cover the laptop. This will make you look like a 19th century photographer – or worse – and kind of defeats the idea of being outside. Alternatively this Laptop Hood is a bit more practical. If you are really on a budget how about using a cardboard box from a grocery store?
- Buy a business laptop. These have matt screens to cope with bright overhead office lights, but again you will need to increase the brightness….which will shorten the battery life.
- Buy an Outdoor laptop
. Laptop and tablets designed for use outdoors are usually ruggedized for specific markets such as construction sites or battlefields. This means they tend to be thick and heavy. The upside is that you can happily drop it in the sand or sea and not worry.
- Video Glasses
Not a great idea as you will be ‘cut off’ from the great outdoors and you will not see anyone sneak up on you. However, it is a solution of sorts. OK, you cannot actually see the keyboard to type, or select menus but you can use voice commands. Windows has a limited set of functionality but if you have the patience try Dragon Naturally Speaking which is on my personal wish list as I hate typing and suffering RSI.
- Specialised screen. The Pixel Qi really got my attention. The screen is designed specifically for outdoor AND indoor use and can replace existing screens in 7” or 10” notebooks. (Don’t let that put you off, it is usually just a few screws and a connector to remove or a simple 10 minute job in your local computer repair shop) The wonderful folks over at Engadet have a short ‘How To’ guide link and review – Take a look you will see how easy and effective it is.
- Battery Life
- At home this is easy. An Extension Cord Reel is all you need. You might even find a friendly bar or café’ owner that will let you plug in as we did at our local beach.
- Fold-able Solar Charger
. Not really! To power an ‘average’ laptop you would need a door sized solar panel. There are several options that will help your battery live a little longer however fully re-charging just isn’t practical. This only really make sense if you are out in the woods or have camera’s and phones to charge as well. This one makes sense of you are back-packing on the trail. Solar Laptop Charger Backpack
- Spare battery. This is a much the better option; take a second charged battery with you. My experience though is not to be tempted by the cheap batteries on Ebay as they rarely last as long as the originals in charge or lifespan. So buy wisely and get a genuine replacement battery for your laptop.
What did I go for? Anti-reflective film and a spare battery. Total cost around $50. This gives Ally around 3 hours total time with the brightness turned up to max.
I am impressed the idea of the Pixel Qi screen so I am looking for a second hand 10” notebook as I think a notebook is a more practical size to take to the beach.
What do I use? Well my business laptop is usable outside – just. My preferred solution will be to wait for later this year when the Oculus Rift ships. Though this would be for home use only as sitting on a beach wearing this and talking out loud to my laptop means I would very likely get mugged or arrested for my own safety.
! Warning
I shouldn’t have to say this but I will. Your laptop will not like sea or sand so be very careful to make sure neither gets near it.