To fully appreciate your laptop or notebook you do have to consider some essential accessories that can greatly improve the enjoyment and pleasure you get from owning one of most highly sophisticated machine.

Here are some of the essential or near essential laptop accessories
you should consider:

1. Carrying Bag or Backpack - This is essential if you will be doing a
lot of traveling. You might even want to consider a wheeled bag for those
heavier laptops.

2. Extra Battery - Since most batteries last less than 5 hours you will
need an extra battery or two. You should also check out bringing along
an external battery for your laptop. If you're looking for laptop batteries
here's a general guide, along with links to different brand name notebook
batteries.

3. Port Replicator - This is one essential you should consider buying for your
laptop or notebook computer. It's a real hassle dealing with all those wires
and connections on your laptop - that's where your port replicator or docking
station solves your problem. Plug all your peripherals into the docking station
or port replicator - connect and disconnect your laptop with ease without having
to deal with all those wires and connections. A must have!

4. Auto and AirPlane ac adapter - Another essential laptop accessory if you
do a lot traveling, battery life on most notebooks is not great so having
a handy source of ac power from your auto or from an airplance is a 'no-brainer'!

5. USB Hub - Some older model notebooks come with one or two USB ports; if you
need more - try a handy USB hub. It will give you more options.

6. Wireless Card - Most laptops and notebooks now come with a wireless
card. Many to brands have 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g or all three! 

7. Optional External Hard Drive - Most notebooks or laptops now come with a 40 to
100 gig hard drives, but still if you download and save a lot of movies or DVDs
you will take up that storage space quicker than you ever thought possible. If you need
an extra hard drive for storage or back-up - try an external hard drive.

8. Optional External DVD Burner - Many laptops now come with a built in DVD drive
but in case you need this extra for CD or DVD burning (movies, songs, videos, etc.) try
an external DVD burner for your notebook. For maximum compatibility, try to get one that
supports both DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW formats.

9. Optional Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - Might sound strange suggesting this
option since most laptops already come with a keyboard! But depending on your notebook
make and model, the keyboards on most notebooks are not the greatest to type with.
It all has to do with the wrong angles and the shape of the laptop - so if you want
a wireless desktop style keyboard and mouse - it is relatively cheap to buy.

10. Insurance! If you do a lot of traveling, you may want to invest in
some laptop insurance. Laptop theft is a still a big problem and it's
better to be safe than sorry.

11.TV card bus -  A great device for people who travel with their laptop, this accessory allows your laptop to receive and record TV, video and also to be used as a radio receiver. It is a simple card that uses your PCMCIA card slot on your laptop. This small accessory is greatly appreciated by music lovers.

By Titus Hoskins & Mike Singh

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