My laptop died right before a client meeting in Chiang Mai

I was sitting in a cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand, trying to join a video call with a big client. I had about two minutes before it started. I opened my laptop and it just went black. It wouldn't turn on at all, no matter what I tried. My heart dropped because this call was for a project I'd been working on for weeks. I grabbed my phone, opened the Zoom app, and sent a quick message to the client saying I had a tech issue but was joining from my phone. I did the whole hour-long meeting from my phone, propped against a coffee cup. The video was shaky and my notes were on the dead laptop, but I got through it. I spent the next three days at a local repair shop getting a new motherboard. What's your backup plan when your main gear fails on the road?

3 comments

3 Comments

david7392mo agoMost Upvoted

Carry a tiny HDMI stick for hotel TVs.

jesse_nguyen2mo ago

Yeah, that's a solid move... I tried that once but forgot my laptop only has USB-C. Ended up watching the hotel's weird cable package all night, some show about people buying storage lockers. The stick just sat there on the nightstand, judging me. Felt like I brought a fancy water bottle to a desert.

mark_cooper1mo ago

That phone save was a CLUTCH move, seriously. People don't realize how much you can actually do from a phone before you really need a laptop. You need a good case or stand though, because propping it against a coffee cup is asking for disaster. That whole waiting for a new motherboard thing is the WORST part of being on the road. Makes you realize you should always have a cheap backup phone or tablet with a keyboard case. I'd rather carry the extra weight than ever feel that helpless again.