More than hardware and software, there are a few services that can make the Road Warrior's life both easier and more productive.
.Mac
More than any other single service, a .Mac account is an essential tool on the road, for a wide variety of reasons. First, using your iDisk, you can share files with clients or your home office, store copies of important files so that you have access to them, and backup your work from the road.
By taking advantage of .Mac's tight integration with iPhoto and iMovie, with just a few clicks you can quickly and easily publish both still photos and video of important meetings, site locations, product shots, or maybe just the fantastic view from your hotel room.
iCal also allows you to publish your schedule on your .Mac account. This is handy for keeping family and business associates up to date on your flight numbers and times, itineraries, and all your schedule information.
America Online
While AOL sometimes seems like the service we love to hate, they offer the Road Warrior something that no one else does: an 800 number for internet access when all else fails. Yes, there is a $6/hour premium charge, but if you're stuck in one of the few remaining towns on earth with no local dial-up, or a hotel that has no option for internet access, you'll be very, very happy that you kept that old AOL account around.
eFax
PDF files are becoming more and more common, but many small business still rely on faxes as a means of communication. If you need to receive faxes while on the road, sign up for an eFax number. You receive a phone number (with an area code of eFax's choosing) and up to 20 pages per month for free, with paid accounts allowing you to select your area code, and send and receive unlimited faxes. What is cool about this service is that your faxes arrive as a .tiff file attachment to an email. You can view them on-screen, print out a paper copy, or easily file them for future reference.
onesuite.com
While your cell phone is probably your best friend (next to your Mac) on the road, there are still times that you need a landline. If so, be sure to consider onesuite.com as an alternative to traditional calling cards. Once you set up an account and fund it (for as low as $5), you receive an ID and 800 number to place your calls. Their rates are better that most of the cards out there, but what sets them apart is their online account access. Each time you use the account, your call is logged by date, time, number and call duration. Not only is this handy for keeping track of who you called when for billing purposes, you can print out a report to help with your expense account.
