The three basic components of mobile business are laptop, printer, and the portable software.

Laptop

The technologies of portable computers have been advancing rapidly with the increased computing speed, memory, and disk size. You can purchase a powerful laptop (compared to the old days) with less than six or seven hundred dollars. Those ultralights will cost you a little bit more. 

Mobile Printer

There are lots of mobile printers out there in the market. Mobile printers run on its own battery and do not require a power outlet. They weight between 2 to 5 lbs. Early mobile printers may not provide you with the expected quality and speed. But those should not be a big concern as the technology continues to improve. Search for portable printer or mobile printer to find the one that suits your needs and budget.

Portable Software

If you only need to deal with simple business documents, such as Microsoft Word or PDF, there will be no difference on the road than in your office. Once you have the software installed and the necessary data and document templates available, you will be able to do your editing and printing on the road. 

If your business relies on more complex software system, you need more preparation before you take on the road. Your business application should give you the option to print a document through its user interface, such as a browser if it is web-based application. There are typically two options here depends on your network connectivity.

Disconnected: if you do not have network connectivity at your customer site, then you need to have all the necessary software, along with the data you need to run your business application on your laptop. Data synchronization is important since you have at least one copy of your business data in your office. Synchronize the data with your office database after you finish your trip and refresh the data in your laptop before you take a trip if there is any chance the data in your office may be modified by others. You can also backup your business data on the road using USB drive or Passport external hard drive (does not use an external power adapter) in case your laptop hard disk collapses.

Connected: when you are fortunate to have network connection, what you need is essentially the client part of your business application which provide you with a user interface for you to drive your business application and retrieve the data from your remote data repository through wireless network. There are many wireless internet service providers out there in the market and they provide different kinds of services. When you bet your business application on wireless internet connection, you should always have a backup plan in case the site you visit is not cover by your service provider.