For all their cool teeny-tiny productiveness, I've never been able to effectively use a laptop on.. my lap. It's just not possible, except for brief sessions to check email or the like. To do real work, I have to find a desk or desk-like surface. This can be tough unless I'm in a hotel room.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original blog entry at: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2004/12/road-warrior-beyond-lapdom.html
