These days, it seems every other tourist packs their laptop computer with them when they set off on holiday, and while some people assume this is purely to remain connected to the web, this isn’t always the case. Here are four non-web related reasons to take the trusty laptop on vacation.

If music be the food of holidays, play on
In many holiday villas and apartments, there is a noticeable absence of home comforts, and that can include music. On a quiet summer’s day in a beautiful resort, what could be better than a few well-chosen songs? The laptop can be used to play CDs, of course, but perhaps it’s more practical on holiday to use Spotify or iTunes to set the background mood. It can be wonderfully relaxing to drift off on a comfort chair with your favourite tracks playing.

Image is everything
Most holiday-makers like nothing better than to take a few dozen (or a few hundred) photographs along the way, and with a digital camera they can view their efforts on the rather small screen that’s installed on the back. If you have your laptop with you, however, you can download them at the end of every day and see them in all their glory. Whether the snaps are of golden beaches, spectacular mountains or historic landmarks, you’ll be so glad you can see them as they were meant to be seen.

Lights, camera, action
Needless to say, if a hotel room or holiday villa doesn’t have a CD player, it might not have a DVD unit either. In the evenings, or perhaps on an unexpected rainy day, it would be nice to settle in for an hour or two to enjoy a good movie. Your laptop can double up as a TV set for the occasion, and in no time at all you could be watching Bruce Willis saving the universe or Drew Barrymore winning the heart of a lovelorn Adam Sandler. Enjoy!

A little me time
There are times when all of us need a little time to ourselves, and when that happens it might be fun to enjoy a game on the laptop. For some of us, that can entail attempting to help Preston North End to win the Champions League while for others it could be nothing more complicated than a few hands of solitaire. As always, it’s just a matter of personal taste.

David Showell lives in southern England and works for www.carhiredirect.co.uk.