Monday, January 31, 2011

Practical Portables - Make Your Netbook Truly Mobile

Netbook Accessories

The netbook is poised to revolutionise the laptop industry. Laptops freed computer users from their homes and offices, and netbooks with accessories will free them from almost every restraint. Knowing what accessories are available for netbooks will help you start to free yourself today.

Batteries

Netbooks are unique because they are so small, and the reduction of size leads to less power usage. In fact, many people buy netbooks specifically for their lowered power usage. So, one of the most popular accessories is an extra battery.

Because netbooks are so small, their batteries are tiny. Some batteries are barely six inches long, and are so light that they wouldn't be noticed in a briefcase or backpack. Having an arsenal of backup batteries for your netbook could eliminate the need for finding power sources for days.

However, recharging each of those batteries one at a time could be frustrating.

Mice

The profile of a netbook is such that either the keyboard or mouse will suffer. Getting a larger mouse area on the netbook results in a smaller keyboard. Fortunately, external USB mice are not only available, but cheap. These mice can be as large as a standard mouse, or micro-sized. Either way, they are an improvement over the tiny mice shipped with netbooks.

Bluetooth

There are those who can easily create a home wireless network with no difficulty, and there are those who have no idea what an IP address is. For the latter, Bluetooth devices are almost essential if one owns a netbook and another computer. Bluetooth accessories allow devices to wirelessly share data without using an external TCP/IP network.

Be warned though, Bluetooth protocols do not allow for the speed of file transfer that wireless users enjoy. Stick to transferring Word documents and transfer big files over external hard drives.

External CD/DVD Drives

The greatest advantage of the netbook can be its greatest disadvantage. To save space, netbook designers scrapped the CD/DVD drive (and the floppy drive, but that was a long time coming). So, to install programs on CD you need an external device.

External Hard Drives

An alternative to an external CD drive is an external hard disk drive. Advanced users can just transfer all their data from CD/DVD to hard drive, and that's all there is to do. Just open the disc contents on the external hard drive and install the program.

Keep in mind though that many external hard drives require external sources of power. Make sure that you get one that is completely powered by USB if your goal is mobility.

Also, external hard drives are completely necessary for backing up your netbook. Because netbooks lack CD/DVD drives, system restorations can only be accomplished from the internal hard drive or USB devices. Rather than restoring from multiple CDs, just make a shadow copy of the entire hard drive on an external and leave the worrying behind.

Monitors

The screen on a netbook is proportionately small compared to the other components. If your netbook is your primary (only) computer, an external VGA monitor can make life much easier when writing reports or watching video.

Most netbooks have an external VGA hookup which can be attached to just about any monitor. While it may not be plug and play, a few clicks in the manufacturer software can normally switch between the monitor and built-in display.

Keyboards

Netbooks commonly have keyboards which are 70-90% the size of normal. So, spending long hours typing can get very tiring on fingers. Also, the odds of typos increase (especially if you have big hands). Getting a nice ergonomic USB keyboard for non-mobile use can really improve your typing and carpal tunnel.

Warmer/Cooler

My personal favorite is the USB warmer/cooler. It is sold under several brands, but each does essentially the same thing. A small box, normally the size of a soda can, is attached to the USB port of a computer. It can heat foods to comfortable temperatures, or keep a drink cold.

If spending time in the wilderness (with your netbook???), I'd take along a USB warmer/cooler just for safety's sake. You could probably store it next to the survival kit when you and your IT buddies go camping.

USB Hub

Most netbooks ship with 2-3 USB ports, but for those of us with a million accessories, a USB hub is vital. USB hubs plug into USB ports and split them into 2-4 extra ports. The results are amazing - you can finally transfer music to your mp3 player, type on a USB keyboard and scroll with a USB mouse, send Bluetooth files, and run a webcam at the same time with all those ports!

Protective Sleeves / Skins

Gone are the days of bulky laptop bags. Netbooks are often stored in conforming sleeves which provide no dropping protection but very good scratch protection. If you are feeling a bit of paranoia over a dropped laptop or distaste over the bland appearance of OEM sleeves, check out the latest netbook sleeves which provide better protection and multiple colors.

Heat Transfer Cooling Systems

Netbook feel a little too hot on your lap? After using compressed air to clear the vents (common problem which causes overheating), check it again. If it's still hot, consider getting a cooling system.

It is completely external - just plug it in and sit it under the laptop. Fans in the cooling device help transfer heat away from your netbook and lap. The net result - your netbook is safer, you're safer, and no skin is charred in the process.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are so many neat gadgets and netbook accessories to add to your netbook that you could make it just as importable as a desktop computer, should you add too many. Hopefully you can get an idea of what you like and enjoy your netbook that much more! - To see some of these products vist http://www.netbookaccessories.co.uk




Netbook Accessories is a website dedicated to reviewing all types of Netbook Accessories helping you to become ultraportable.

Article submitted by Nick Summerscales - Netbook Accessories - http://www.netbookaccessories.co.uk

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