which electronic devices to bring?

Skip the iPad, watch movies on your netbook instead. buy yourself a couple USB keys with plenty of memory to back up your stuff (multiple backups are safer - but don't keep the keys in the same place as your netbook coz if it all gets nicked you've lost the lot.
If you can get the bank to send you a device ranther than the iphone buy a cheap, unblocked phone and use local sims then just use your ipod for the music, games...

If in the end you do decide to bring the iPad, then don't bother with the kindle. You can download books onto the iPad from Apple and from Amazon (kindle)

I just take my tablet with me. But that's because I like to go hiking and travel light.

Not sure about mac but you can read kindle books on windows computers. That makes it so it's one less thing to worry about (if your eyesight it really good you could do it on the ipod but that seems like a pain)

Dear gadget freak;

If that bag of expensive toys gets dammaged or stolen, would you still enjoy that trip?
Or give up and go home.

I plaid games on my phone while I should have been listening to the music of the spheres.

I learned a lot less than I should have. And it supplied the diversion that theives use to rob us. It just takes 'em a split second. They hand off the goodies to an accomplice and nothing can be retreived or proven.

I buy my books at antique malls. $1.30 and they are all keepers, or there wouldn't be a market for 'em. If they get lost or finished. leave 'em at a hostel's book swap shelf.

Leave the gadgets home. And take advantage of the opportunity to learn something, from conversations with othe cultures.

Police reports are only good for insurance claims. Cops can do nothing for us.

thanks all! Very good contributions all.
Gawkabout: yes, you're right, the more you travel the more you realize how little we need. And As you mention it could be stolen, yes. But in that case I will go further with traveling. The thing is that I might work while traveling and therefore I really need a notebook at least.
I could skip the Ipad though. And also the Iphone. But the Kindle and Ipod seem for me necessary goods while traveling, Reading from the notebook is tyring and the guidebooks (LP, Rough guides etc) in paper are so heavy! And the Ipod...just for the music, of course I'll spend most of the time talking, listening to people and local sounds but every now and then it's good to close your eyes and listen to your music. And besides, it's so thin that it doesn't take much space.

iPod is also nice for playing music to fall asleep to when you're in a noisy hostel. i travel with a kindle, iphone, and netbook. use all almost daily. iPhone has some nice translation apps when we get in a bind. Kindle is great for long bus trips, and netbook is essential for blogging / work like you'll be doing.

take care

the netbook only, plus a cheap unlocked phone and a USB stick for backup. The laptop will also provide music with headphones, although I suppose an ipod won't take too much room.

most long-haul airlines now have seatback screens with masses of stuff to watch. Take a couple of books with you and swap as you go. That's it.

what about a camera?

oh yes, and an old camera, the good camera is too big and expensive to carry.
maybe I'll bring a small external hard disk and memory stick also, they re nowadays so small and light. I bought this afternoon an 32 G memory stick for the back ups of important documents and work.

Blimey - you going on holiday, or to a toy fair?
I like to listen to local music in bars and on the streets. A music player has no place in my luggage.
Laptop, etc.... Nah.
You mention a 32g memory stick for work - are we talking meetings with the bosses here, or a holiday?

did I forgot something?
Yeah - the 50" plasma TV :-)