Would you check your Tablet PC or laptop?

With the recent requirement on some UK flights that passengers check their laptops, I’ve been contemplating what it would be like if this new rule became the norm. If I had to check my Tablet PC on each and every flight, would I take it with me at all?

I don’t think so. Why?

First and foremost, I’m not sure if I could pack it thoroughly enough so that it wouldn’t get damaged as the luggage is being loaded and unloaded from the plane. Maybe my concern is a little overblown here. But it sure wouldn’t be any fun to get to a meeting only to find the display cracked or worse the hard drive non-functioning. Maybe to adjust we’d all become a little more diligent about backing up–especially before a trip. Still, even with a backup, a hardware failure could be tremendously painful. It’s not just getting the laptop repaired–if it’s possible–it’s the time required, the need to reinstall software as needed, restore settings, and on and on. Hmmm, on the hardware side, I wonder if service plans would become more popular? I bet.

My second concern is with theft. Over the last couple years I’ve met two people that have “lost” their checked laptops. All of their luggage made the trip except what do you know, but the laptop. This makes me a little reluctant to play checked baggage roulette. (By the way, in both cases the airlines did not compensate the travelers for their loss in any way.) I’d rather leave my Tablet behind if there’s even a 2% chance of it being stolen. With the amount of travel I do, that might mean I’d lose a Tablet once every two or three years. Ouch. Yes, laptops can be stolen at any time, but I do my best to keep mine at my side as much as possible.

So my concerns are not just with the separation anxiety of my digital documents as this LA Times article articulates.

Now what might change, if everyone had to check their laptops at the gate? I think quite a few people would opt to leave their digital devices behind. It’s not worth the risk. People might take along a USB stick or hard drive with their data, but that would be about it. When you get to your destination you could borrow a computer, plug in your memory stick or Smart Card for network access and off you’d go.

Similarly, smaller “more disposable” laptops might become the device of choice for frequent travelers. I’m thinking in terms of UMPC-like devices or beefed up PDAs that can be used for PowerPoint presentations, checking and authoring emails and the like. However, neither of these devices would keep much data on them. They’d become thinner and thinner by necessity–just in case they are lost. Centralized services or separate memory devices would hold the data–or both.

I can also envision airlines renting computer access on planes, complete with Internet access, as a work around so you could type, read, or browse on your voyage. Here again, this might lead frequent travelers towards a thinner-client experience.

What are you going to do at your destination if you don’t take your Tablet or laptop along? One option is to borrow a computer destination. Another is rent one from the hotel you’re staying at or maybe at the airport. Who knows, maybe the trend will be rent a car–get a Tablet. Either way, I imagine the browser or thin-model winning out in a scenario like this.

A no laptop rule could have a significant impact on how IT workers and small business travellers use computers. As long as Internet access is prevalent, I can see Web 2.0 and similar services becoming the beneficiaries. Likewise, small, portable memory devices and as well as more and more inexpensive computers with less and less crucial data on them could become winners too.