BareBones PRW Setup

Hi Folks, After a brief hiatus busy field testing the ultimate Photoshop RoadWarrior rig, I have finally accumulated sufficient gear to put together the Barebones required to operate out in the field for a full WEEKEND, without needing a mains supply Recipe:

1. MacBook Pro + SSD
   
2. Wacom Intuos4 Wireless
3. External battery (Hypermac or Batterygeek)

MBP Settings (4.5 Hours continuous use)

• Brightness - 2 notches down from full brightness
• Bluetooth on
• Wireless off
• Keyboard Illumination - off
• Graphics switching - off

Wacom Intuos 4 Wireless - Full charged, lasts almost a month with regular use, (Few days if used continously - but have yet to be able to discharge the battery).

External Battery - Field testing Hypermac 150 (as a optimal choice between weight vs extended MBP life)


Summary
Initially, the main issue was ensuring the Wacom wireless worked with a reliable laptop with minimal connectivity issues, The MBP proved to be a excellent candidate.



Next, was finding a suitable (lightwieght) Plein Aire rig from which to use to paint with. Traditional plein aire pochades and rigs were too heavy. Ultimately, a combination between a lightweight tripod and adapted lightweight plate sufficed.



Lastly, was ensuring one could work beyond the 4-6 hours barrier without resorting to a local starbucks/eat for recharging. And initially the powergorilla was thought to be the solution (however it only extended the power rather than recharge the internal battery. This posed a serious problem, for the true outdoor plein aire experience)



Lucikily, a detailed serach for external batteries for the new Mackbook pros (which ahve a unified body) unveiled both Hypermac and Batterygeek as a good candidate. Since we are based in UK, hypermac seemed more obvious, and a small outlet Protenica had them in stock.

So, here we are. All ready to go for the weekend of solid digi plein aire painting!

Full test results after a weekend of testing it in the field at London Bridge Quarter and Thames river. Untile then, here are some pics of the barebones setup.