Uploading on the road

...or how much time do you plan to spend on a computer?

OK, next step. You've got some very cool pictures, and you want to post them on your journal so that all of the folks who are following your trip can see what you see. Sounds easy, but it isn't always. There are two problems here. The first is that even with a high-speed Internet connection, uploading large files can take a very long time. And the second is that if you're using a computer in an Internet cafe or a library - it's not likely that you'll be able to install the drivers that are needed for the computer to "understand" your camera.

I attempt to update my journals from the road, but uploading photos? That usually waits until I return home.

For my Boston to Oregon trip in 2002, I kept my journal on a handheld computer and I uploaded my entries every day or two. I wanted to share what I was seeing each day with friends and family, so I tried to upload a couple of pictures each day. I was using my HP Jornada handheld with a PCMCIA card adapter for a Compact Flash card. My Internet access with this device was always via a dial-up, so uploading pictures was painfully slow, and I was unable to upload pictures that were larger than 2 megapixels via a dial-up connection.

Today with the availability of high-speed connections from the road, this isn't as much of a problem. But I'm still not willing to sit and upload photos while I'm out on the road...

What about high-speed connections at Internet cafes or libraries? Next topic...