Netbook - Sorry If a Stupid Question

MarsdenCuckoo

Hi,

Per heading, sorry if this is a reeeaally stupid question but am wanting a little advice please.

Am going travelling for a month or so - won't be on the Net much but am loathe to be totally out of touch for that length of time. (Also don't want to be Internet Banking at a Cafe.) Friend has offered to lend me their netbook but I've never used one before.

They say I should just take a new memory stick with me so as not to slow it down. (The netbook is at my first destination point so I can't try it out beforehand.)

Will I be able to email direct from the memory stick (and if so, what would I need to load onto the stick before going.... i.e. can I load my address book or just a word doc file listing all the details?)

Am so used to my emails just coming into my Inbox, just wondering how it will all work and what's the best way to organise? (Would like to be as prepared as possible beforehand i.e. don't want to waste valuable holiday time setting it all up when I get there.) Is that possible?

Thanks for any/all input.

MarsdenCuckoo

Sorry, forgot to subscribe to the thread so I know if anyone answers - doh!

Garetha

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

... Am so used to my emails just coming into my Inbox, just wondering how it will all work and what's the best way to organise? (Would like to be as prepared as possible beforehand i.e. don't want to waste valuable holiday time setting it all up when I get there.) Is that possible?

Thanks for any/all input.

Gmail is your answer - it will collect your email and hold it in a web based mailbox - you just log in to your mailbox.
No need to change your email address.
More info if you need it

tronator

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Will I be able to email direct from the memory stick (and if so, what would I need to load onto the stick before going.... i.e. can I load my address book or just a word doc file listing all the details?)

Am so used to my emails just coming into my Inbox, just wondering how it will all work and what's the best way to organise? (Would like to be as prepared as possible beforehand i.e. don't want to waste valuable holiday time setting it all up when I get there.) Is that possible?

Try PortableApps and chose the software you need. I guess it would be Openoffice, Thunderbird and maybe Firefox.

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Sorry, forgot to subscribe to the thread so I know if anyone answers - doh!

You're automatically subscribed to threads you take part in.

JasX

tronator wrote: »

You're automatically subscribed to threads you take part in.

really? I never am and don't remember turning anything off -would be a very large number if I were too...

OP just to clarify we're assuming you're travelling within the UK as charges for that kind of thing overseas on a UK netbook can be huge (thousands of £££)

MarsdenCuckoo

Garetha wrote: »

Gmail is your answer - it will collect your email and hold it in a web based mailbox - you just log in to your mailbox.
No need to change your email address.
More info if you need it

Thanks, doh, never dawned on me - I do have a gmail account but the a/c I need to keep an eye on most is on my hotmail/live account so I can do that there then.... Hmm... Just need to gen up on that and, presumably, anything important copy onto the stick then?! Easy peasy.

MarsdenCuckoo

tronator wrote: »

Try PortableApps and chose the software you need. I guess it would be Openoffice, Thunderbird and maybe Firefox.

You're automatically subscribed to threads you take part in.

Thanks - for both comments. I love MSE!

Appreciate the info and if I do some more travelling and actually invest in my own netbook then will check out your suggestions.

MarsdenCuckoo

JasX wrote: »

really? I never am and don't remember turning anything off -would be a very large number if I were too...

OP just to clarify we're assuming you're travelling within the UK as charges for that kind of thing overseas on a UK netbook can be huge (thousands of £££)

Hmm... I don't often start threads so no ideas who's right/wrong on that one.

No, am actually going abroad but within Europe. My friend's netbook is already there so will either use a hotspot for general things or maybe either their or hopefully a trustworthy neighbour for confidential things. Talking of which, if I use a neighbour's connection for my banking, is there anyway that they could access my personal details afterwards?

tronator

JasX wrote: »

really? I never am and don't remember turning anything off -would be a very large number if I were too...

I thought it would be default. Maybe i changed the default.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/profile.php?do=editoptions

"Default Thread Subscription Mode

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I think any option other than "Do not subscribe" would subscribe you automatically.

tronator

MarsdenCuckoo wrote: »

Talking of which, if I use a neighbour's connection for my banking, is there anyway that they could access my personal details afterwards?

Your bank should use a secured site (https://) to encrypt all traffic between you and the bank. From this side you should be safe.

But if your neighbor can gain access to your laptop because you didn't secure it, he could access a file where you save all your passwords unencrypted or install a keylogger or ...

MarsdenCuckoo

tronator wrote: »

Your bank should use a secured site (https://) to encrypt all traffic between you and the bank. From this side you should be safe.

But if your neighbor can gain access to your laptop because you didn't secure it, he could access a file where you save all your passwords unencrypted or install a keylogger or ...

Oooohh, you've scared me now..... Considering this is going to be someone else's netbook I'll be using and not sure how computer savvy they are - any chance of an idiot guide to protecting myself (and them if they haven't - might be a nice way to thank them for lending me their netbook)? Can they access my passwords if I don't actually ask 'the system' to save them? (And, sorry, haven't got a clue what a keylogger might be....)