Take laptop or buy more memory cards?

[keri125]

Hello all!
I have done a search and read a few threads regarding taking laptops on vacation, but I wanted some fresh perspective, please.
My son and I are going to Universal in November, and I am contemplating taking my laptop. I have never done that before and don't know how much of a pain it is going to be.
I would be taking my laptop pretty much for the sole reason of downloading my pictures daily when we get back from the parks. I don’t have a fancy camera or anything, but it does have the feature where you can take multiple pictures one right after the other, and I love using that feature to get great expressions on my son’s face! But it does mean I often take MANY pictures during the day – sometimes 400 or more. Multiply this by the four days we are going to be in the park, add in a bit of video here and there, and it could mean that I am using a ton of memory space.
If I took my laptop I would need to buy a laptop bag, and would like to get one that is airport security compatible. I have my eye on one that looks like it would be good and easy to travel with – it’s gotten pretty good reviews on Amazon, but runs about $70. If I took my laptop I would keep my one memory card and just download my pictures each night.
Would you suggest spending money on the laptop case and just keeping the one memory card? If I didn’t take my laptop, how many memory cards should I buy to accommodate between 1500-2000 pictures, plus video? And what size memory cards would you suggest?
Thank you in advance!

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I was considering this same thing and then decided that I don't want to risk it getting stolen or broken.

I'm planning to use my iphone for pictures and just upload them each night to my ipad mini. I like the idea of bringing my ipad mini because it is smaller and easier to maneuver and I can carry it with ease and not risk it getting stolen.

 

[keri125]

I was considering this same thing and then decided that I don't want to risk it getting stolen or broken.

I'm planning to use my iphone for pictures and just upload them each night to my ipad mini. I like the idea of bringing my ipad mini because it is smaller and easier to maneuver and I can carry it with ease and not risk it getting stolen.

Yes, that was concern for me as well. Not so much stolen or broken in the hotel room (I read a suggestion on another thread that talked about locking it in your suitcase during the day) but during the trip down and/or back.
My iphone is so old - I have very little room for extra data on it. I'm old school and refuse to upgrade until I absolutely have to!
My son wants an ipad mini badly, but haven't broken down to buy him one yet. He's already obsessed with Minecraft on my phone - if I had it on the mini, I'd never see his face, just the top of his head!

 

[tomeaine]

I would go with memory as it will always be needed down the road especially when you plan to take that many pictures.
first what type of memory card does it need? More than likely an sd card?

 

[SueInBoston]

Can you borrow memory cards from a friend? Most of us have so many memory cards sitting around when we are not on vacation! or look for a photobank on ebay for about $20- $30 specifically to download photos.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I bought extra memory on Amazon for our Alaskan cruise 2 yrs ago. We ended up taking over 1200 pictures (9 nt trip). I can't imagine taking that many in 4 days at Universal. I'd leave the laptop home. Just another source of stress while on vacation.

 

[Jimsig]

Do both. Bring a couple extra memory cards but bring the laptop as well. Thousands upon thousands of people travel with laptops every day and my guess would be only a small amount get broken or stolen. Every night upload those pics from the memory card to the laptop, might even back them up to an online storage site like photobucket if you have an internet connection. What would happen if you lost a memory card or something else happened to it? You would loose a ton of photos possibly spread out over a couple days.

 

[supergoofy]

An 8GB SD card will hold 3,000 pictures from a 10mega pixel camera

Depending on camera you may need an SD or micro SD card and they are about $7 for an 8GB to $40 for a 64GB


http://www.ehow.com/facts_7211932_picture-storage-capacity-sd-cards.html


Personally I'd buy a 64GB and be done with it.

 

[buckeev]

I take thousands...yes...thousands of pictures on our trips. We also use small, HD digital video cameras a lot....the Superstar parade takes about 1-2GB just by itself. Macy's is usually more...
(Our son records, or has one of us record EVERY parade, coming and going..until the last float is out of sight...and record EVERY character he sees/meets...etc.
Suffice to say, I pack the GBs on the memory cards...usually carrying about a dozen in several different sizes. (It really is a 3-ring circus keeping everything charged, formatted...)
Anyway, it's how we roll, and with our Autistic son, it is his main enjoyment in life.
I carry a laptop, and a 1TB, USB powered external hard drive to back everything Up...(trust me, the boy will notice if the 14th pic of Scooby shaking hands with the man in the brown striped shirt taken at 1:14 on Thursday....you get the point.
At Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, I use the hotel's safe deposit boxes for secure storage every morning to secure my laptop and external hd. Never had a problem.
When we get home...everything gets copied to his hard drives for countless hours of viewing torture, errrr...pleasure for all!

 

[NewRVLady]

Buckeev-you sound like a great, supportive parent, Thank you for this glimpse into the world of your autistic kid

OP-I have left laptops in hotel rooms all over-I fugure if it gets stolen-the maid is the culprit and will get in big trouble, so I doubt anything will happen. I also leave my locker unlocked at the gym, and never anything stolen-I am a risk taker, I guess

 

[disneydeal]

I'm going in a week and I'm taking a new 32 GB card. Best Buy always has cards on sale 30 to 45% off. Main reason is it'll also be used as a backup after the trip when I download to computer.

If laptop hard drive goes bad I'll still have all pics and videos on a card smaller than a dime I can reinstall into new laptop and nothing will be lost.

 

[coffeecassie]

I often travel with my laptop. I just keep it in a neoprene sleeve in my carry on back pack, and I've never had any trouble.

 

[keri125]

Thank you everyone! I think I'm going to try to do a combo like a lot of you have suggested....maybe take the laptop but buy at least one bigger memory card as well. I really appreciate the replies! (All the department stores are having huge luggage sales this weekend, so may try to go score a deal on a laptop case!)

 

[Jn3va3]

If you are just looking for extra capacity, go with the extra memory cards. cheaper if lost, less theft risk, much less weight and less to worry about if you are in the park on departure day. If you are looking to back up the photos so you don't loose them then the laptop is better.

For backups - I have also started using a small device called a Kingston MobileLite that I have been using for backing up my SD Cards while traveling. I figured I'd mentioned this in case anyone is looking for a portable backup option instead of lugging a laptop. Search "kingston mobilite" on Amazon - its about $30

I did not want to carry a laptop but I usually do have my Android tablet. The Android connects to the MobileLlite via Wifi. The MobileLlite has a USB and SD card connection. I put the SD card from my camera in the MobileLlite and connect a small external hard drive (I'm using a Seagate 1TB Backup Plus). Using an App on the Android you can then copy the photos from the SD card to the hard drive. If your Android can use an SD card, you can also copy from the SD card in the Android to the SD card in the MobileLlite instead of using an external hard drive.

If you do use an external hard drive, make sure you connect the MobileLlite to power otherwise the external hard drive will drain its power very fast.

There is an iOS application for the MobileLlite too, but I have not been able to find a way to use an iPhone to copy files between the SD and hard drive using that app. It seems to only want to allow you to copy files from the iPhone to the MobileLlite.

 

[Ranger111]

LEAVE IT HOME.

If you do not need it, really, which you do not, don't risk it.

Why tempt fate?

Wife damaged mine first time she took it on a flight. Not really her fault, but....

She is blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and if she had the pigtails on each side of her head, even at age 50, she looks like the poster girl for a "Danish farm girl."

So, for some reason, 8 of 10 times she flies, she is "randomly" selected for extra security screening. I suspect it is because she looks like she will not hassle them for pulling her out of line.

Myself, 6'3" with a perpetual frown when I face airport security am never pulled out of line, and indeed am often directed to expediated....go figure...

Anyway, first time with laptop, and her story is disjointed and I was not there...they pulled her out after passing through the machine and somehow, with her not there at the end of the "belt," the laptop manged to get pushed, pulled or otherwise dropped off the belt.

It sustained some damage. Still works, amazingly, but it could have been much worse.

Anyway, moral of story, why take a chance of damaging it if you don't need it. When you are traveling there are lots of distractions. You do not need another.

 

[MrsPete]

I'd take more memory cards. They're cheap to buy (try ebay), and then you don't have to risk your laptop, which isn't all that difficult to injure.

 

[JillyBean1899]

I have an 8GB memory card for my DSLR. It holds a weekend (3-4 days of 2,000-ish pics a day) full of burst shots at NASCAR races with room to spare. And these aren't little 4"x6" or even 8"x10" pictures ... when I get them on the computer, they're 24"x36".

 

[MSLRAC]

What size card do you have now? I have a 32gb card for my DSLR and never even come close to filling it up in during vacation and I take thousands of pictures plus videos. You can pick up a card that size for $35-45 at Target.

 

[tomeaine]

Unless its a good seller I would avoid eBay as they have lots of fake cards.
Assuming you need an SD card
I got this one not too long ago at a bit cheaper price.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00DX...1e53693c&qid=1400970490&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Class-Me...e=UTF8&qid=1400970826&sr=1-3&keywords=SD+card
Look for class 10 or uhs1 compliance and memory write speed.

 

[formill]

We all take laptops always every trip-could not imagine even considering not- so far theft has not been an issue! I like to take my pictures and put them on the laptop then if I am very good I will every day have a new folder each day of that day's pictures that makes them so much easier to remember stuff when we get home. My carry on bag has a spot for laptop and fits under the airplane seat so usually watch movies on flights on it. It is no issue at all to take out at security at the airport- fast and easy put in bin on it's own. Our laptops are pretty much as important as say the toothpaste. We do also have multiple SD cards though would never think that just one would do- just yesterday I had a card read error and could not take pictures......have no idea the problem later on it did work.......with ipods, phones and tablets though there were plenty of other devices to take pictures with- so many we often don't even take the camera anymore just use a phone.