<p>I was thinking same thing as thumper1… a nice new laptop (with perhaps external keyboard and monitor) might be all you need. In fact, it could save your the trouble of remembering which stuff is on which computer. </p>
<p>Skype from laptop would be a great option for international calling. Although we only use the chat/text function, many college families use voice and video too. </p>
<p>Now cellphone choice might get tricky. It depends on what you want to do for your connectivity on the road. DS’s Droid smartphone can become a “hotspot” for internet for another $20 per month - we set that up for just one month and used it at my Dad’s house recently.</p>