hornbeck

Over at jkOnTheRun,  James Kendrick talks about “Your Mobile Team Needs the Right Tools” and the improvement of tools available to mobile/remote workers. This is a subject that I’m familiar with and figured it might be a good time to talk about what physical tools my team uses to stay connected on the go.

Macbook Pro

Every member of my team gets a Macbook Pro as their main computer. I like to have everyone using laptops because assigning someone a desktop when they are a remote worker is just like handing them a chain that they have to attach between their leg and their desk. I don’t care where you work from and a laptop gives you that freedom.

Sprint 3g/4g card

What good is giving someone a laptop with the purpose of them being able to work from anywhere if they don’t have a connection? I’ve found that Sprint has the most reliable internet cards and make sure that everyone gets one. We’ve used the usb versions in the past but we are moving to the Sprint Overdrive now. The Overdrive allows you to connect up to five devices and doesn’t require you to plug anything into your machine. This is nice if you have a family and take a trip because now everyone has internet in the car

iPad

While we haven’t begun rolling these out yet, I’ve been testing an iPad as a work device that may soon join the tools issued to my team. The iPad allows me to take work along in a lot less obtrusive way and is a lot lighter than carrying my mbp all the time. It’s also nicer to have in the front room or kitchen when I’m with the family. It doesn’t replace a laptop but it’s a nice extension and easier to carry around or keep available for easy browsing.