Back in 2009 I did a post on this and since then I’ve gotten a surprising number of emails asking me to update it. So here we go.
The first requirement is pen and paper. The paper is important because you want to be able to flip pages fast while you are interviewing someone. You don’t want to loose what they are saying while you have to pause to turn a page. The best tool for this, I’ve found, is a Moleskine Reporter notebook. This is pictured at the left. Very easy to use and you can flip pages really quickly. The built in elastic band makes it easy to mark your place and all Moleskines come with a pocket in the back cover where you can put all the business cards you collect. They cost about $12. If your computer battery fails then you can actually use this to take notes and type it all up later! Amazing.
What to write with? Pens are dangerous because they can run out of ink – so I think pencils are best. I like Faber-Castell’s Perfect Pencil UFO. The cap contains a built-in sharpener. You can always tell how much you have left. About $45.
Now for a camera. I’ve found that the Olympus EPL-1 is a great choice. The Micro 4/3 format makes the camera small and light and doesn’t sacrifice much, if at all, in quality. It also has the ability to use interchangeable lenses. The optional finder makes it a comfortable to use as any SLR and it has become my main camera, eclipsing my Canon 30D. About $400 plus another $225 for the finder.
Now for a phone. For me it’s the iPhone 4. Everything just works so well on it and it is so simple to keep in sync with my main MacBook Pro. Unfortunately, AT&T service isn’t so hot so I may very well break my contract if and when Verizon comes out with one. To prevent battery anxiety I encase the phone in a Mophie Juice Pack Air (about $80). It will run forever with this combo.
As to a laptop: the new MacBook Air 13″. I’ve found that the battery life claims that Apple makes are correct and it can easily get through a day of use with a little careful management. A solid state drive means you won’t have a disk failure if you bang it and the 13″ model has an SD slot which makes transferring pictures easy. If I need to be concerned about battery life I’ll bring along my HyperMac 60Wh external battery. This, coupled with an Air, will dispel any battery life problems. About $170.
WiFi doesn’t work, at least not in a conference or a large gathering people. It is not designed for this and so can be wildly unreliable. The solution is a 3G modem. MiFis are very popular as they will create an always connect personal hot spot. I don’t like them, though, because they have a short battery life. Another thing to worry about. So I use the Virgin Mobile Ovation MC760 USB modem. It’s only $80 and has no contract. You buy service by the month. You can get unlimited broadband – that’s right unlimited – for only $40/month. Since I only need the service a few times a year this is perfect for me and it runs on the Sprint network which has never let me down.
As to bags, I try not to carry one, but recently I’ve found that the Tom Bihn Co-Pilot can do everything I want and weighs absolutely nothing, especially if you get it in the Dyneema fabric, so despite my prejudice I’ve been carrying it. The Air just fits inside, but I don’t think any other 13″ laptop will make it. Lists for $110.
That’s it. I hope that answers the questions I’ve been getting. If not, then please leave a comment.
