Make the Most of Your Transit Time
Published: October 6, 2004
By Armelle O'Neal
Whether you're a seasoned business traveler or occasionally ride mass transit, you can make the most of your "down time" while you're traveling. In this article I provide tips of ways you can easily stay productive during your trip, and some of the things you need to consider before you leave your office or home.
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Plan for the Length of Your Trip
The length of your trip should guide the tasks that you plan to complete and the items that you pack.
For example, if you'll be spending two or three hours at the airport you may have enough time to review a proposal and provide feedback. On the other hand, if you're taking a 30-minute commuter train, focus on tasks that you can accomplish quickly. Finishing a presentation or reading and working on e-mail are all tasks you can complete.
Another thing to consider is access to power. If you're in an airport lounge, you'll have access to a power outlet. But if you spend the majority of your transit time in a bus or a commuter train, you'll need to rely on battery power. In the first case, be sure to pack your power cord. In the second case, make sure your battery is fully charged before you leave. Also, bring a spare battery for assurance.
Read, Review, and Annotate Documents
You can read and review documents easily while working offline. Make sure, though, that you're using Briefcase or Offline Files so that it's easy to synchronize your files when you return to the office. And by using tracked changes and comments you can make sure co-workers and other reviewers can see your changes.
Have Your Documents Read to You
Sometimes in transit you might be in cramped quarters and have marginal lighting. Handling paper documents or looking at your computer screen in these conditions can be difficult. If that's your situation, you can have documents read to you with "text to speech" (TTS). TTS can be particularly helpful when you only have a short period of time, during transit, to get familiar with the contents of a report. One important note, however. Remember to bring your headphones.
In a nutshell, TTS enables the operating system to play back text as spoken words. A TTS engine is installed with Microsoft Windows XP, but third-party engines are also available. Some third-party engines offer different regional accents or languages. Others are also better suited to recognize specialized vocabulary, such as legal or medical terms. Learn more about how to configure and use text-to-speech in Windows XP.
To use TTS in Microsoft Word:
1. | Open Microsoft Word. |
2. | On the Tools menu, click Speech. The first time you choose this command you will probably be prompted to install the speech recognition files associated with the Speech feature. |
3. | In the message box, click Yes. |
4. | If you plan to use the speech recognition feature to use voice commands in addition to using TTS capabilities, in the Office Speech Recognition dialog box click Next. If you only want to use TTS capabilities, click Cancel. Notice that the Speech toolbar is displayed and available for use.  Use the Speech toolbar to use TTS. |
5. | Open the document that you want read to you, and then click Speak. To pause or stop the reading, click Pause Speaking or Stop Speaking. |
Read, Reply To, and Send E-Mails
Using your transit time is a great way to catch up on e-mail. And you can do most things offline that you can do online and connected to your company's network. You can read and draft e-mail messages, check your calendar, and organize your Inbox. If you're writing e-mails, just put your finished messages in the Outbox. The messages will be sent when you get back online.
You can use either Microsoft Office Outlook or Outlook Express to work on your e-mail. Learn more about the differences and similarities of Outlook and Outlook Express.
Working Offline with Outlook 2003
If you're using Microsoft Exchange Server in combination with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, using Cached Exchange Mode makes working offline almost transparent. Without changing any settings you can continue to work with your e-mail and calendar when you're not connected to the network.
When you reconnect to the network, Outlook automatically synchronizes your changes. The folders and items on the server and on your computer are once again identical. You don't need to switch to working offline or to reconnect to the server—it's all automatic. Learn more about Cached Exchange Mode.
Working Offline with Outlook Express
If you're using Outlook Express, you might need to make change some settings to work offline.
To set up working offline in Outlook Express:
1. | On the taskbar, click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Outlook Express. |
2. | On the Tools menu, click Options. |
3. | On the General tab of the Options dialog box, clear the Check for new messages every "X" minute(s) check box.  Make the appropriate selections in the Options dialog box. |
4. | On the Send tab, under Sending, select the Send messages immediately check box. |
5. | On the Connection tab, select the Hang up when finished sending and receiving check box. |
6. | Click Apply, and then click OK when prompted to confirm the setting changes. |
Surf the Web
Even though you can make Web pages available while offline, true Web surfing requires an Internet connection. Depending on your location and mode of transportation, you may be able to connect to the Internet wirelessly for part of your transit time. Airport terminals and coffee shops, for example, usually now have wireless Internet access. In addition, an increasing number of airlines (such as SAS, Japan Airlines, and Lufthansa) offer wireless access. Check with your airline to see if wireless access is offered on your flight.
If you do find a place that offers wireless services, connecting to a wireless network in Windows XP can be pretty easy. Before you get started though, talk to the provider to find any costs or information you need to get started.
Share Files and Work with Co-workers
If you're traveling with co-workers you might need to share information with them. For example, you may be traveling with a coworker and need to collaborate on a presentation that you'll be giving.
You can share information in a couple of ways, even when you don't have access to a wireless network.
| • | Create a peer-to-peer network. This type of network is useful if you need to set up or join a temporary computer-to-computer network for sharing files or devices. For example, if you're traveling with colleagues and need to collaborate on a presentation, a peer-to-peer network can work great. To create a peer-to-peer network, you must be disconnected from any other wired or wireless network. In peer-to-peer networks each computer has the same capabilities and responsibilities. This differs from client/server architectures, in which some computers are dedicated to serving the others. Learn more about peer-to-peer networks. Check with your company's IT department before setting one up. |
| • | Transfer files using a USB key. A USB key is a plug-and-play portable storage device that uses flash memory. Light enough to attach to a key chain, a USB key is ideally suited for quick file transfers. A USB key does not require you to restart your computer after it's attached, nor does it require batteries or an external power supply. And it is not dependent on a particular operating system. Find a USB storage device. |
| • | Share files using Infrared Data Transmission. The majority of mobile PCs enable you to share files using infrared. For example, if your co-worker wants to access files on a shared folder on your computer, you can establish an infrared connection between two computers. Using an infrared connection, however, does have limitations. They're limited to short-range (usually less than 3 feet), have slow transfer rate, and can be finicky. The two computers need to be perfectly aligned for the data transfer to work reliably. Data sent over an infrared link is also not encrypted. If you're concerned about security, make sure the two computers are very close to one another. Check your computer to see if it provides for infrared connections, and then learn how to make an infrared connection between computers. |
Listen to Music or Watch a DVD
Enjoying some multimedia is very well suited to long stretches of offline time, such as an airline flight. However, before settling down to watch your favorite movie or enjoy music on your computer, be sure that you have enough power to complete the movie or CDs. Learn more about power management in Windows XP.
When turning your mobile PC into an entertainment device, be sure to bring your headphones and do the following things to maximize battery life.
| • | Turn down screen brightness. |
| • | Turn off wireless. |
| • | Remove any unnecessary accessories from PC Card slots. |
| • | Close any programs you're not using. |
| • | Create and apply a custom power scheme. Windows XP comes with several power schemes that you can use to reduce the power consumed by a particular peripheral device or your entire computer. The scheme should specify that the monitor should never turn off nor should the system go into standby, and that the hard disk should be off. To create a custom power scheme: 1. | Click the Start button on the taskbar and click Control Panel. | 2. | In Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance. | 3. | In the Performance and Maintenance window, click Power Options. | 4. | On the Power Schemes tab of the Power Options Properties dialog box, you can create a custom scheme and then save it under a descriptive and meaningful name.  Use the Power Options Properties dialog box to create a customized power scheme. |
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By being aware of and prepared for ways to take advantage of transit time, you can arrive at your destination with the satisfaction of knowing you accomplished some tasks while en route.
