flWhen buying a laptop, you don’t just buy the laptop. There are hundreds of accessories available for any given laptop brand, from a 4G wireless dongle to a replacement keyboard. Some accessories are just there to serve as conversation pieces, while others you cannot live without. Let’s look at some essential companions that you’ll need along with your new, or existing laptop.

1. A mouse

This is an absolute essential if you will be using your laptop on a hard surface. While trackpad technology has been getting increasingly better, it is still no rival for a good mouse. Of course, there are some trackpad users who will fiercely object. But in general, studies have shown that a mouse is a better pointing device in terms of pointing accuracy and speed. Personally, I have used a variety of trackpads and the majority of them are futile when compared to my cheap wireless mouse. The single trackpad that I consider to rival the mouse is that of the MacBook Pro 15″ (2015) model.

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You don’t have to take out a loan to buy a souped-up gaming mouse. For most users, a simple 3-button wireless mouse will suffice, with an optional button on the thumb. Most wireless mice today have a relatively small wireless USB dongle that you can leave in the laptop. Should you ever need to take it out, make sure that the model of mouse you are buying has a secure and easy to insert port for the USB component.

The scroll wheel of a mouse can be a dealbreaker. Basically, I have found two types of scroll wheels. The former, which I call discrete, contain tiny “speed bumps” every fifteen degrees or so, to stop or slow the scrolling. The latter, which I call continuous, do not have these notches and offer a perfectly smooth scrolling experience. I personally prefer the former, as it offers more haptic feedback and is very helpful when switching items in Minecraft.

2. Keyboard protector

I hate keyboard grease. This is why I find it paramount to get a good-fitting keyboard protector for all my laptops. Not only do keyboard protectors stop grease from making your keyboard shiny and disgusting, they can also save your laptop from an otherwise detrimental spill.

Finding the one that’s just right for your laptop can be a daunting challenge, given that the number of distinct keyboard styles is approximately the same as the number of laptop models in the world. Unless you own a very widely-used, standardized laptop like a MacBook, you’ll find yourself buying one online for about ten bucks plus whatever shipping cost the retailer decides to charge.

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In my careful observations of greasy-keyboard-sensitive laptop users, I’ve come across two distinct types of keyboard protectors. The first are made of silicone, and are often identifiable as flashy-colored covers like the one at left, while the second kind are made of TPU (thermoplastic poly-urethane), and are see-through, like the one pictured above.

I heavily prefer the latter, for several reasons. TPU keyboard protectors are much thinner, and as a result, do not rub up against your screen when your laptop is closed. By virtue of being transparent, TPU’s allow your keyboard’s backlight to shine through, which makes working in the dark much more bearable. But my biggest reason for favoring TPU’s is how they feel under the fingers. All screen protectors take away some of the authentic feel of a bare keyboard, but silicone ones are the biggest offenders. They are very sticky and do not age gracefully, often developing oil spots that look worse than on a regular keyboard. TPU’s on the other hand still allow you to slide your fingers across the keyboard surface, and provide the closest feel to a bare keyboard surface.

3. Screen protector

Just as I hate greasy keyboards, I also despise greasy screens. With increasingly more laptops going touchscreen these days, there is no lack of finger-to-screen interaction. If your touchscreen is glossy, it doesn’t take long before you notice it’s basically a fingerprint magnet. With this in mind, many screen protector manufacturers have designed their products to be oleophobic, or fingerprint-oil-resistant.

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I have covered this topic in extensive detail in a previous post.

4. Laptop sleeves

This can be the difference between a broken laptop and a laptop that still works. No matter how careful I am with a laptop, all it takes is a slip of the hands and you could find your self out $1000 or more. You will want a laptop protector that has a low profile, but plenty of impact absorbing padding in it. Fortunately, laptop sleeves are more universal than screen protectors, as a single sleeve can fit almost any laptop of the same screen dimensions.

Recommendations

For my 13.3″ to 14″ laptops, I bought this V7 13.3″ Shock and Water Resistant Ultra Protective Sleeve from Amazon. It has a low profile, but inside it there’s EVA bubble padding to make sure that your laptop doesn’t wiggle around too much. The sleeve also doubles up as a cushion on which you can place your laptop, and your wrists.

When shopping around for a sleeve, pay attention to how the sleeve zips open. Those that open from the short side are great for backpacks. I usually keep the sleeve in my backpack, leaving its open end facing up. This makes it very easy to drop my laptop into the sleeve, as well as take my laptop out of the sleeve. For those who carry around shoulder bags all day, I recommend a sleeve that zips open on the long side, for similar reasons.

5. Pick your favorite

I have found the following accessories to be of significant benefit. Perhaps you will too.

• Spare laptop charger. This allows me to have one charger that sits on my desk at home, and one that travels with me in my backpack. No more unnecessary unplugging and replugging the same charger!
• Memory card. I have noticed the amount of on-board storage space steadily shrinking throughout the years. Memory cards are a lightweight and portable way to increase storage space, if you have a memory card slot. Unlike USB’s, they don’t stick out of your computer chassis, and unlike “the cloud”, all of your files are instantly available offline.
• Dvorak keyboard stickers. Someone reading this has to be a Dvorak typist! I’ve been using Dvorak for upwards of a year, and have finally put stickers alongside the regular QWERTY layout. While I strive to touch-type, there are times when I have to look down at the keyboard. Having Dvorak layout stickers helps guide my fingers when I have to look down.
• Microfiber cloth. While not strictly an “accessory”, you should keep one of these around in order to rid your screen and keyboard of unwanted dust and fingerprints. The more micro the fiber, the better. I got mine at the Home Depot, where they were selling packs of three microfiber cloths for cheap. While these cloths are advertised for “automotive use”, they clean my laptop very well, and very quickly.
• Rubbing alcohol. It’s more effective than soapy water for getting rid of finger grease. Plus, it dries faster, without leaving streaks all over the place.
• VGA to HDMI adapter. It’s been years since HDMI was released, and yet some conference rooms and classrooms still only offer a VGA interface. Buy the appropriate display adapter, and never find yourself unable to project your laptop screen again. Those of you who only have DisplayPort Mini should consider VGA to DP-Mini adapters.
• USB Hub. Like the trend with decreasing on-board storage, laptops come with very few USB ports these days. On some occasions I’ll want to plug in a USB mouse and two USB sticks, when I only have two USB ports. The solution to this is a USB hub which takes many USB connections as input and connects to your computer via a single USB cable. Even if you have four USB ports, having a USB hub is still a convenience. When you pack your laptop, you only have to unplug a single cable, instead of several connected devices.

What are some laptop accessories that you can’t live without? Let me know in the comments!