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Notebook Buying Guide

What accessories do I need?

If you haven't accessorized your notebook, you haven't lived. Here are some of the best ways to do it.

Accessories: Docking station or port replicator | Laptop bag | Extra battery | External drive | Mouse and keyboard

Docking station or port replicator

Lenovo's port replicator works for many different ThinkPad notebooks.

A docking station contains a mixture of ports, slots, drive bays, and security features, and it usually attaches to the notebook from underneath. Docking stations come in a variety of shapes, ranging from the same size as your notebook, which is often referred to as a media slice, to much bigger--some stick out 5 inches past the back of your notebook. As the name implies, a docking station is where you park your notebook when you get back to the office, giving you easy access to your network, along with a bigger monitor, a regular keyboard, additional storage devices, and the convenience of leaving cables plugged in when you walk away from your desk.

A port replicator, on the other hand, is a smaller, stripped-down version of a docking station that mainly features--as you might guess--ports, such as USB or S-video. A port replicator can range from the size of a box of toothpaste to just shy of docking-station stature. When you're on the road, a port replicator is a convenient way to increase your connectivity.

Laptop bag

A solid notebook carrying case is worth the extra money.

You're about to drop a couple grand or more on a laptop, and the last thing you want to do is spend even more money on a carrying case. So you save a few bucks by going with the manufacturer's basic case. But basic bags often lack a padded shoulder strap or internal pockets. You'll be kicking yourself soon when your 5kg load is cutting a groove into your shoulder and all of your accessories come tumbling out of your bag in a tangled mess. Dig into your wallet for a sturdy, comfortable carrying case, and your shoulder will thank you. Look for padded shoulder straps, reinforced corners, and specialized compartments designed to hold the AC adapter, the extra batteries, and so on.

Extra battery

Sony notebooks come bundled with extra batteries.

If you do even a modest amount of traveling, we recommend getting the largest battery available for your model--or, if you're wary of the extra bulk that a larger battery entails, get a second battery. They range from S$200 to S$400, and they are well worth the money if you plan to regularly spend more than 2 to 3 hours away from a wall outlet. Next time you're trapped on the tarmac working away on your laptop and your primary battery is about to die, you'll be glad to have that second cell. If you rarely travel with your notebook, however, and your laptop is pretty much always plugged in, don't bother with a second battery.

External drive

This is an external drive hooked via a cable to a notebook.

External drives--storage and media-burning options that hook up to your notebook via cable--can be a pain to carry around and hook up, plus they can be pricey. You're generally better off buying a notebook that has everything you need out-of-the-box. Nevertheless, external drives are sometimes required. If, for instance, you buy an ultraportable that lacks a built-in optical drive, make sure you get an external drive so you can load software. Types of external drives include CD-ROM, DVD/CDRW combo, DVD-rewritable, hard drives, and more. No matter what notebook you buy, we strongly urge you to invest in a thumbdrive that plugs directly into your USB connector sans cable. These little drives are brilliant for transferring small amounts of data between notebooks or between notebooks and PCs, and they're much more convenient than burning data onto CD.

Mouse and keyboard

Wireless keyboard and mouse

Working for hours with just a pointing stick or a touchpad can take a toll on your hand, wrist, and forearm. To save yourself some wear and tear, invest in a small travel mouse. These can cost little, they usually hook up via USB, and they're very easy to tote. The same advice applies to typing for hours on your notebook's keyboard. If you plant your notebook on your desk when you work, hook up a USB keyboard and relieve your wrists. If you prefer working without wires, get a wireless mouse and keyboard.

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