Recently I had the chance to commute to London. Ah, yes, I can already hear you seasoned commuting hacks sighing and rolling your eyes, I know, I know, the excitement wears off, but no matter whether you love it or hate it, you need a netbook.
For my first day of commuting I took nothing but a bag and a newspaper. By the time I staggered home at 8pm I was in no state to go through some of the work that had to be done that night. I was shattered.
Now, if I’d had a netbook with me on the train (as I do right this very minute) then I could have finished off all the hard work before I got home.
So this fine morning I whipped out my netbook, stuffed it into one of my savvy shopping bags (I was in a rush), and galloped to the train. Today I was going to see if hauling a netbook around the London underground was worth the chance to do some typing on the train.
My first hurdle was to avoid smacking it into the faces of nearby passengers. I tend to bustle rather than sidle, a trait that has the potential to decapitate innocent commuters when armed with a cloth bag stuffed with technology (and make-up, obviously). Then I had to get myself a seat with a table. It’s all very well sitting at the single chairs with the 
fold down table but you can’t even move your arms once that’s all in place.
Honestly, it was far easier than I expected. The size of my Eee PC meant that I didn’t impinge on the space of the nice man opposite me (watching movies on his PSP) but I still have enough room to type, and my netbook was secure and didn’t fall off every time the train turned a corner.
I have to say that even though I did get a few funny looks this was, so far, a genius idea. Although I must interject by saying that I am rather stunned by how nobody else, on my carriage, had a netbook or laptop out. Even if you don’t want to sit on the train working all morning, surely this is the best chance in the world to write your memoirs, the Great British Book, or perhaps create the ultimate blog?
It could just be me and my penchant for writing, constantly, but this seems like a huge opportunity lost. If you have a wireless dongle then you don’t even have to write. You can save the world’s trees and read the news online. Or learn something new. Like I mentioned in my previous article about how the internet is the greatest free teaching resource, here is the time to do that learning.
Once the train ground to an unsteady halt at the station I had to brave the heaving horde that is commuter rush hour on the London Underground. I must confess that my inexperienced laptop shoulder took some strain but, other than that, the journey was the same as it was when I had nothing but my handbag to contend with.
So my verdict is out. As I face another couple of months commuting to London I will not be doing a single trip without my Eee PC.
Today I’ve penned this missive, caught up with an old friend, sorted out my emails, read the latest news on my favourite news site, and (blush) played a bit of Patience.