Necessary accessories when buying a laptop?

New to buying a laptop, as I have used PC my entire life. What are the necessary add-ons when purchasing a laptop? Is it necessary to buy a cooler too, or is that just a situational item (sorry I kinda just played Dota 2 so). Anyway, what do you guys think? What are the things you should get along with a laptop while you're at the local retail store?

 

I used to have a DVD player on my laptop and thought that I can't live without on my HP. Now I have a MacBook for almost a year without the DVD player and I am fine with it. The other thing that I find useless for me is the camera. I haven't use it much except for when my son call me using Skype. Other than that, I don't like seeing myself, and I don't want other to see me

A laptop cooler you can add to your list later since new laptop doesn't really need it.

 

For me a nice wireless mouse is a must Since I just can't get to stand using the touch pad for too long, plus I do like to game on my laptop. That is all I need, practically. A good portable HD is always a good choice as well, I wish I had bought one when I got my first laptop... that would have saved me so many headaches.

 

Just check to make sure it's got everything you require. I was looking recently and was tempted to buy something basic and add all the necessary parts as I go along but I found that it was cheaper to just buy a laptop which already has everything integrated. The only thing I missed was a microphone socket which my laptop doesn't have (it has a built in mic) but it's not too much of a problem because I can get a USB microphone. The question is, what do you need? DVD-RW? Webcam? Graphics capabilities? Bluetooth? USB sockets? TV output? CPU? RAM? Etc.

 

A 2 pack of usb drives at a least if you plan to redo the OS that it came with later, or ever need to boot to retrieve data without the system running. You can use such a drive to do recovery, maintenance, or reclaim data if anything happens to the drive.

if it's an ultrabook, you may want to get a dvd writer or cd/dvd combo drive. Even if it only writes CDs, it can still read DVDs which you can convert to ISO files for later use or preservation of discs you might need to install or burn a copy of later, and that way you won't have to have the external drive connected all the time, but still have a good way to get data on or off the machine from an optical drive whenever you need to. There are some devices which still provide drivers exclusively on CD or DVD media, like external usb wireless network devices, webcams, and others.

You'll want to pick up a can or two of compressed air to keep it fresh and clean, and alcohol screen wipes to make sure it's a crsip and clear display for you. If it's touch screen, you might want to get a stylus pen too so that you don't get fingerprints on the screen.

A good laptop carry bag would be a good idea, too. Maybe an external drive if you have a lot of data you plan to download or save, to keep only what you need on the system and have a safe place for the rest. That way, if you ever have to recover the drive or anything happens, the majority of the most important stuff won't be on the laptop to worry about, but on the larger external drive. You can then use the usb rescue drive to try and get to it to copy off to the external drive you could likewise connect while doing that.

You might want to buy a piece of adhesive for your webcam too if you're using Windows.

Those are just a few things you might want to buy for a mobile PC or portable laptop for best use.

 

I think for most people the list is really as follows: laptop case, wireless mouse, and plenty of USB ports on your laptop so if you find you do want to use external things like an extra hard drive, an external burner, or some other gadget, you'll have the ports to accommodate your needs. Personally, I need at least 3-4 ports.

 

I have a corded mouse with me all the time because I am not comfortable with the track pad (or whatever it is called). It didn't enter my mind that a cordless mouse is more convenient since the laptop is portable and I can use it anywhere. But for the archiving, I am content with the USB as temporary archive. However, our USB sockets were disabled because it's a policy in the office. So my only archiving for my laptop is by connecting to the office network and archiving to the server.

 

A lot of people think of buying a Laptop Cooler with a Laptop. I have found that this is of no use. The most important things to buy are a Rechargeable Wireless Mouse when you are not very comfortable with your Laptop Mouse or if you want to Game, A set of Good Bluetooth Speakers as most Laptops have crappy Speakers. Get a good Sleeve to keep your Laptop when you are not using it and an extra pair of Batteries if you plan on going on a long trip and you have a lot of work to do on the go. HP Laptops have the longest POWER Cords. If you buy some other brand you would want to get an extra long POWER CORD for when you need it. If You are a power user also get a USB HUB for all your ACCESSORIES. GOOD LUCK.

 

That reminds me: A lot of people buy a warranty with a laptop. I have found this to be of no use lol (seriously, save yourself the money if you are buying it new because usually the warranties they sell you overlap with the manufacturer warranty anyway, and most of the places just send it to the manufacturer to be serviced half the time or more if it's a retail store). A usb hub is good to have if you need more than 2 or 3 ports, but don't over-do it with 2.0 devices...

 

Well the good news is that laptops these days pretty much come equipped with everything that you would need, but I do always make sure to buy a good case for it. If I am spending a lot of money on a machine I want to make sure that I can carry it safely and effectively, and that is important to me. Warranties are also a big one to make sure that it lasts as long as it should, and on top of that maybe a wireless mouse if it comforts you. Once those are good you might focus on the software and virus protection.

 

For me, some sort of protection. It might look dumb sometimes but I am rodiculously clumsy and I know I will drop it at some point. I also take care of younger cousings so my screen needs to be reinforced as well, don't want food ruining it. I also get an external hard drive since I use memory up really fast and sometimes a mouse as well if that's not included already.

 

A mouse is a must for me and a nice bag for it. I really hate using touch pads so it's necessary for me. A nice wireless mouse with long battery time. Probably one that can be charged if you plug it in and it can be used like a regular wired mouse.