5 Useful Accesories for your new Acer Mini Laptop

January 8, 2009 in Accessories, Helpful Devices, Helpful Hints, Lists
Tags: acer mini laptop, acer mini notebook, aspire one, laptop, laptop accessories, laptop device, laptop gadget, mini notebook, notebook accessories, peripherals

To customize a classic saying, “no computer is an island”.  We always seem to need some other devices or peripheral to get the most out of a laptop (or even desktop) purchase: routers, modems, printers, mice, hubs, etc.  And even though your Acer laptop comes with most everything you need to be functional (except maybe a built-in printer–boy I wish they had those), there are a few gadgets to make my laptop life even easier. Here are my 5  favorite Acer mini notebook accessories.

1. Finger Trackball

As much as I love using a notebook, I am not a touchpad fan. I have an nice wireless laptop mouse that I do use, but that’s not always convenient. For instance, I do plenty of work in the car while waiting for school/soccer/basketball/etc. to let out. And I certainly do my fair share of work sitting on the bed. Neither place is conducive for a mouse that needs a flat surface next to the computer. Enter a trackball.

In case you haven’t worked with one,  the whole trackball unit stays in one place and you move the ball on the trackball around when you want to move the cursor on the screen. A super cool version of the trackball is the finger trackball. You hold the whole thing in your hand, kind of like a gun, and use you thumb to move around the trackball or to click the right or left mouse buttons. Because you can hold it in your hand, you don’t need a flat surface at all. Plus, this type of trackball is much easier on your wrist–a bonus if you suffer from carpal tunnel or wrist fatigue.

Two caveats:  a) this type of trackball not great for gaming, and b) if you do a lot of back and forth between the keyboard and mouse, this type of trackball may annoy you. But if you spend a lot of type with the mouse, say surfing the Web, this will work for you.

Typical price range:  $20 – $50

2. Headphone with mic

If you use your netbook in public, you really don’t have a choice–you will need headphones. Me, I like great sound, but I really am no stereo-expert -audiophile  who can tell the difference between 6 and 7 channels. I just want to be able to hear my MP3  and the gunfire in Quake–such are my priorities. So a reasonable set of headphones–with a microphone–is enough.

Even if you don’t think you’ll need them, get headphone with a mic anyway. You may have never used one, but those days are probably numbered with the amount of audio and video communications you can have via computer. Record instructions, teleconference with associates, dictate papers with voice recognition, or talk with friends or family on Skype (someone in your family is probably on Skype-just ask them!)

Even better, get a set of earbuds with an attached mic.  You can find them under $20, they are discrete, and easy to stow.

Typical price range:  $5 – $80 for headphones with mic, $15 – $40 for earbuds with mic.

3. USB Bluetooth Dongle

More and more cell phones, PDAs and other laptops are being sold with Bluetooth built-in. Bluetooth is just another a way to transfer data between 2 devices without wires. What would you want to transfer? Songs to your MP3 player, pictures on your camera to your laptop, an ebook or podcast to your PDA, and so on.

You can make it so your Acer mini can access all your (and your friends’) Bluetooth devices with a USB Bluetooth dongle. It’s small, you plug it in your USB port and install the software. The cheaper ones tend to transfer data a little slower, but if you transfer a lot of data often to/from your phone/player/PDA/desktop, spend a couple bucks more for a 2.0 USB dongle.

Typical price range:  $2 – $100

4.  Case

If the  simple sleeve that came with your Acer mini is not enough protection for you, upgrade your sleeve. One of the things I love about my mini is the fact that I can put it in most of the totes, attaches, backpacks, and purses I use. However, depending on the bag I’m carrying, I don’t want my little investment bouncing around or getting scratched up.

For about $25, I got a sleek foam-lined sleeve that does not add weight and offers a little more padding for my netbook.  It’s not a meant to protect the computer from a fall, but it will give a little protection from scratches. It even has a small outside pocket for my power cord and mouse.

Typical Price Range: $15 – $100

5. Laptop Stand

Go ahead and work in bed or on the couch! Just prop up your netbook with a laptop stand where you can type comfortably without strain. Plus, a stand will help keep airflow under the computer and keep it from getting too hot.

There are many laptop stands you can buy that fit your price range and comfort needs.

A small one like the one on the left won’t break you.

The stand on the right is like a bed tray but better with extra space for using a mouse or writing and a drawer.

As DIY kind of gal, my favorites are those that you can make yourself. Get a lot of great ideas from this post on Lifehacker.  This is my favorite…and my project this weekend.

Check out the instructions here.

Typical Price Range: store-bought $20 – $80 ; self made $10 – $40

What’s your favorite accessory for your Acer mini?

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