Internet cafes/wireless connections

umm says on Jan 13, 2005, 07:20:

in the big cities most cafe internets have fast internet connections.

UMM

My Forum

viewpoint says on Jan 13, 2005, 07:28:

Val,

Unless there are some application programs that you can't live without loaded on your laptop comuter I would leave it home. Just bring a portable storage device, i.e., a flash memory device that handles from 512MB or 2-4GB of storage or a 20GM to 60GB external hard drive any which would just connect to a USB port on the CyberCafe computer.

Just load all your files that you want to access on any of these storage devices and you would be all set unless you need some special application software program. I was in Panama City recently on a business trip with somebody lugging their laptop around and it was a pain in the ass as every stop we had to configure the computer to the local ip address to access the internet. I guess they must have had statically assigned IP addresses but whatever it was not plug and play. Maybe you will have better luck but I just stick with the storage devices which works for me except in the USA where we have tons of ISP providers and we are speaking a common language (english).

I carry all sorts of storage devices that fit in my hand or shirt/pants pocket capable of carring all the files on all my computers in four locations. The simple 512MB flash memory storage unit is now only about $30.00 net of rebates and it will store the equivilent of about 355 typical 1.44MB disks. $80 will get you 2.2GB and $130 4.0GB all in flash memory. If you need more memory you can get a 250GB external hard drive for $150.00 and all size (and prices) in between. They have been reducing the prices of this type of storage devices drastically to $75 for a 20GB device. You could even reinstall your application programs on these devices.

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umm says on Jan 13, 2005, 07:33:

you are right, a laptop easily gets stolen or robbed.
Dont carry around expensive things.

UMM

My Forum

Gomezman5 says on Jan 13, 2005, 08:16:

Leave the Laptop at home---unless..... You are only going to use it indoors (hotel, home, apartment Etc.)
Don't be taking it to internet cafes. Colombian street thieves use a lot of stealth----more than American thieves do. I can easily see them hanging around internet cafes, waiting to catch the unsuspecting victim off guard as they are either walking in or walking out of the cafe.

Now a question????
Why bring it to the cafe? Cafe's have desk top units there. you don't have to bring it there. I do understand that they may have cafes there for wireless ussage as they do in the states, but forget it!!!! It's not worth the risk. IF that thing get swiped off of you, I sware in addition to the financial loss, you will feel so angry, and violated...it will ruing your vacation.

So if you are going to bring one....Leave it at home or locked up in the hotel except. By the way, even the hotel's are not too safe...yes they steal things there too...just as they would anywhere else in the world.

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Neonovo says on Jan 13, 2005, 08:21:

Brandishin expensive items is foolish...but......Brandishin a MACINTOSH Lap Top is a mortal mistake. You will be targeted by Guerrillas as a member of the gingo intelligencia, who will promptly kidnap you, hog-tie you, heave you in the back of a jeep, take you to a fog-enshrouded mountain hide-out, and you'll never be seen again.
:/

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lanegratomasa says on Jan 13, 2005, 08:54:

neonovo are you for real? I find it hard to tell whether people on this website are being sarcastic or not.

If you are being serious, then no se que decirte.

If not, then its really funny

No one dies a virgin, Life screws us all. -Michael J. Trent

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Gomezman5 says on Jan 13, 2005, 09:24:

Neonovo--Good point Neonovo brings up a good point !

Above and beyond street thieves, this is Colombia, and any sign of wealth, could be a message to others that invariably might put you in a position to be kidanpped. It's not likely, but honestly like I said earlier, things in Colombia, especially when it comes to kidnapping--stealth and by observation, makes you a potential target.

Leave the laptop at home !!! Period. If you carry that around, it's almost like putting a sign on you saying kidnap me

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Neonovo says on Jan 13, 2005, 09:56:

Reality check, Negratomasa... Negratomasa, Actually, I'm very real, and I believe I do have a funny slant in my verbage. Please check out my first post, Me dejo el Avión en Bogotá (you read español?), which I hope, will at least crack a smile in you lips, as it did in Adela's, it only respondent.
I don't want to be all serious-as-a-heart attack, but I do share my portion of gloom and doom here, when the post calls for it.

Neo.

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ACBlessing says on Jan 13, 2005, 10:03:

Me too I just wanted to echo what everyone else is saying here. I wouldn't take a laptop, even if it is a Mac ;-) UNLESS you ABSOLUTELY have to use it for work. Besides making yourself a target for robbery, you won't be able to just walk into an Internet cafe and just connect wirelessly. I haven't seen a wirelss cafe a la Starbucks there so far.

All the cafes have a bunch of old computers physically connected to a high speed connection...no wireless. I'm sure you could pay your way into having a guy configure your laptop to use in the cafe if he can read Windows in English but you'll pay $$ for it.

Even then why go to a cafe when some of the hotels already have connections in the room. I know this because I lugged around an IBM thinkpad through all the airports going down and coming up and it got heavier by the minute. Now I just take my 1Gig memory stick or my 60Gig portable drive with me instead.

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA USA
alex at acblessing.com
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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vkaleda says on Jan 13, 2005, 12:57:

laptop use in Bogota I do need to use special graphic design software, so that's why I have to take my laptop to work, otherwise I wouldn't, but also will be staying with friends and working from their home, so security isn't as much of an issue. I have been to Bogota and Medellin before and lived in Cartagena/BarranquilIa many years ago...so I'm not a newbie when it comes to the ways of Colombia...
I won't have access to a hotel internet service, so that's why I thought of the internet cafes.
I could burn CDs or use a flash card to take my files to the internet cafe if they will let me upload/download large files??? Do you knkow if this is possible? Are there email addresses to these places, maybe I could talk to someone who runs one?
Thanks for all the comments...I like the idea of a backpack for the laptop...much less conspicous...

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Gomezman5 says on Jan 13, 2005, 13:26:

Backpack is of limited value 2 reasons 1. Like I said, colombian street thieves operate using stealth. they target you and they get you. Period. No exceptions. They have been known to hang around internet cafe's they wair for you to come out, they pull an knife or a gun and what are you going to do???
There is your answer NOW

2.Do you think you are really going to fool these people on the lookout, when you walk out of the cafe with your backpack?
Trust me, you will not.

Now the backpack is effective for when you are comuting to and from the cafe, after all nobody will think you have a laptop in it.
But my friend, you simply are not giving Colombia's fines street thieves enough credit....they are very good and very determined. I am not saying it's going to happen.But how are you going to feel if it does? I'll answer that...MISERABLE!!!! And you will especially feel miserable for not listening to a majority of the people on this web site who told you don't do it.

Finally, I did live there for a few years..almost 2 and a half, so I have a little better perspective than the person who goes for a few weeks, comes home, ans says all went well.

It's your choice---good luck.

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ACBlessing says on Jan 13, 2005, 13:57:

Gomez is right My GF got robbed of her earrings last week by knifepoint and she wasn't even carrying a backpack. I made it successfully a couple times with my laptop but I still know the danger lurks.

Also, I got a rider from my insurance company to cover my electronic gear in case of theft or damage. I know it's only a Mac but I'd consider the insurance.

Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA USA
alex at acblessing.com
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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Gomezman5 says on Jan 13, 2005, 14:51:

Thanks ACblessing But as far as the insurance goes....I have my doubts as well.

1 This much I am very familiar with as an attorney. Laptops may or may not be covered under your home owners policy. It probably is not covered for travel out of the country..

2 When losses of this nature are covered, they are prorated and only for replacement value. Which means if it's an older model, because all computer depreciate, especially laptops, fairly quickly, you are going to have a huge out of pocket expense to replace it with a new one--unless you want to buy a used one from someone you don't knwow and you wll have no idea how well the system function

3. The pain in the ass factor while you are on vacation. If you are on vacation, you are just that, on vacation. You don't need anything to irritate you like that.

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Gomezman5 says on Jan 13, 2005, 15:08:

roofus--- I see your point. I am just a conservative guy---not a major risk taker. So that is where I am coming from.

Vkaleda will just have to decide, after all is take into account. One thing is certain. After all is said and done, you will have heard all sides, now you will just have to evalutate things for your self.

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lanegratomasa says on Jan 13, 2005, 15:11:

laptop issue I need to write articles on daily bases. So i HAVE to have my laptop.
I will be staying with a friend in Bogota and will be in a nice hotel in Bogota.
Is it still a no no with my laptop? I am not planning on taking it to internet cafes.

Its a must No one dies a virgin, Life screws us all.

-Michael J. Trent

No one dies a virgin, Life screws us all. -Michael J. Trent

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caslug says on Jan 13, 2005, 15:51:

Lane.. Once your laptop or any belonging is in a hotel or friend's place, it's safe as can be. Since you're staying in a hotel, not hostel, your laptop will safe in the room. Just to extra careful, i would buy those laptop chain/lock locks a laptop to desk if it's not a nice hotel. Thief is generally a crime of oppotunity, and happens OUTSIDE your living space, ie, on the street, bars, restaurants, other public places.

But if you're writing articles then i would just use an internet cafe or the hotel computer. Lugging laptops around during travelling is the pits! Esepcially thru airports. Of course if you're planning on staying for extend time, then it makes more sense ot lug it. Versus a 1-2 week trip.

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RicardoS says on Jan 13, 2005, 15:57:

If you need it, bring it... I agree that being carefull is a must, but being super-paranoic isn't helpful either.

I say, don't parade your laptop at public places, but if it's important for your work, by all means bring it!... I have friends that have laptops, and they bring them every day to School, and believe me my University is in one of the unsafest places of Bogotá... but they carry it on their backpacks, and don't venture in to known unsafe places, so far none of them have had any problems. I also think that you can upload big files in internet cafes, at least in some of them, is only a matter of finding the right one, I also suggest the CD burning, or USB memory device, 'cause I haven't seen much caffes plugging laptops, most of them just have the standar desktops wired, so is a safer bet to carry a memory device.

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juanalejo says on Jan 14, 2005, 15:28:

blow my mind Some of the commentaries here simply blow my mind. I live here, work here, travel here. I use a lap top every day, carry it on me, use taxis when pico y placa, walk for lunch, have lunch meetings with my laptop, walk back, do this in most cities in Colombia around most business areas, I am not the only one. I use internet cafe´s near the offices I am visiting, use my lap top, I am no expert in computers, I ask for advice to my neighbors in the cafe, I walk to my next meeting. Period. I really do not know where all these paranoic stories come from, I now you guys live outside Colombia, I know you like keeping in touch with you country, but giving an advice that seems to be produced by Telemundo or Univision does not either help the people travelling, nor the reputation of the country. If you are coming to Colombia, just like in any third world country in the world, you must be more aware of your surroundings and know where you are going. That is all.

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lpdiver says on Jan 15, 2005, 03:52:

Roofus I agree Leave your pocket change for the maids. The only problem I encountered was that I soon learned that I needed to leave a note explaining that it was in fact a tip. Generally I got page long thank you notes. Shocked the heck out of me.

"cook some rice!"

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dedsrius says on Jan 15, 2005, 06:42:

Looking for a shortlet apartment in Medellin I am a colombia virgin heading to Medellin in the middle of February. I am looking for a 1/2 bedroom apartment somewhere near carrera 48 for a month. Tried a website but unfortunately its in spanish. Any help anybody?

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YEP says on Jan 16, 2005, 12:59:

Well you can use this to translate that page then
http://babelfish.altavista.com/


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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lpdiver says on Jan 16, 2005, 13:10:

Rent an executive suite that has a computer Thats what I did on a working vacation in Medellin. You pay a bit more but it was very nice for $70/day...breakfast, shoe shined, spa hot tubs on hte roof.

"cook some rice!"

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santiBOG says on Jan 16, 2005, 14:25:

My God, you people are so paranoid, it's almost funny!!! I wonder, do they know the same Bogota that I know? I did IT consulting/sales for over 2 years in Bogota and everywhere I went I brought my own laptop. Sure, a lot of my work took place in the northern part which is supposedly safer but still if you're in a taxi going from and to places you will not have any problems. Of course, you should not get into a crouded bus and boot up your laptop and start working. Just use common sense. I would always carry it back and forth from home to the office and to customers' offices for presentations. Sure, sometimes a portable storage device would have done the trick, but the point is: if you have half a brain you will be as safe with your laptop as you would be in any U.S. metropolitan area.

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