Cool Laptop Accessories 2012 - Best Laptop Accessories 2012

In today's high-tech digital age, simply buying a laptop computer by itself isn't always going to be enough to satisfy everyone's digital wants and needs.

In fact, our tech savvy generation is often only happy when we customize our tech products in some way or another. Sometimes it's simply for style, though other times its more about functionality.

However, regardless of your motives, you can't go wrong by pairing your laptop with a mix of cool laptop accessories, especially since you may just better your computing experience in the process.

laptop usb portable hard drive picture laptop computer accessories

Do you routinely back up your data? We hope so, if not we definitely recommend an external hard drive for you, especially if your laptop is your primary computing machine.

In our experience many people still do not take proper precautions by backing up their data on a routine basis.

Keep in mind folks that if a laptop is your primary computer there is a greater risk that you will lose your data.

We've seen individuals lose years of precious family photos from a stolen laptop. A simple backup once in a while could have spared them a lot of agony.

Remember that laptops are also more susceptible to premature failure because of their design and typical usage patterns.

If you are going to use an external hard drive for backups please folks do remember to leave it at home.

We've also seen individuals use a portable hard drive for backups only to get it stolen along with their laptop because they left it in the laptop bag. Oops, so much for the backup!

We personally like to use a smaller portable external hard drives as supplemental data storage for our existing internal laptop hard drive.

But for our crucial data backups we use a full-size stay at home external USB hard drive because they are cheaper and additionally have more storage space compared to portable drives. Not to mention you won't get it stolen.

For ultimate data backup needs look for a hard drive with a one touch backup feature. Basically once it is setup all you have to do is press a button to backup your data. Pretty nifty and data bacups aren't a chore thus you will be more inclined to backup routinely.

Regardless of who you are, pick up an external hard drive, especially if you use a laptop as your one and only computing machine. Any cool laptop accessories list wouldn't be complete without mentioning an external hard drive.

In fact, nothing is quite cooler in our opinion than having a backup of your precious files, for if your laptop is stolen or crashes, you're going to be extremely grateful that you invested in one.

laptop usb memory stick flash drive picture laptop computer accessories

By now most of you have seen a USB memory stick, right? If not basically they are a little device that has replaced the old floppy discs for storage.

You simply plug it into an available USB port that is standard on all computers, and then simply drag and drop your files to it.

They are an invaluable piece of equipment to have with any laptop. Great for pulling data such as music and photos off a laptop to transfer to a friend's computer, keeping a quick second backup of that important assignment you've been working on, and well the list goes on.

In fact, if you are worried about securing your sensitive data in the event that you lose your flash drive, manufacturers of flash drives even make models that offer advanced encryption capabilities.

One such model that we use is the Memorex Kingston DataTraveler. Basically you password protect the device and no one will be able to access its data without that password. Pretty cool especially since identity theft is so out of hand these days.

Prices of flash memory sticks are also lower than ever so you can pick them up for almost nothing. Secure flash drives will cost more of course but if your data is something you want no one else to see it is invaluable and worth the extra cash.

laptop cooler laptop podium picture laptop computer accessories

Even though today's laptop processors run relatively cool, they're still capable of generating a lot of heat.

If you put your laptop through long hours of use it doesn't hurt one bit to keep it cooler by placing it on top of a laptop cooler pad.

In fact if you have the bad habit of placing your laptop on a bed, carpet or other surface that can potentially block the vents causing the laptop to run hotter, we especially recommend you pick up a laptop podium.

A cooler pad can prevent premature laptop component failure becuase it will always insure that you are keeping your laptop vents unobstructed.

Most are light weight and fairly portable like today's laptops, and there are tons of choices out there.

One of our favorite manufacturers of laptop podiums includes Cooler Master. Their NotePal podiums for example go one step above a basic generic laptop cooler by offering advanced cooling via a cooling fan.

laptop power inverter adapter plug picture laptop computer accessories

If you are a busy always on the go individual, a power inverter is a very cool laptop accessory.

Power inverters convert a 12v DC power source such as the one found in you car into an AC power source that laptops or other devices use.

Power Inverters are going to be very useful for travelers on the road or even for times of need where you simply forgot to charge you laptop before you left your home.

Power inverters can normally be plugged into a 12v power connector in your automobile or with an included adapter the special airplane receptacles typically found in business class seats and many newer planes throughout.

One thing to pay special attention to when shopping for a laptop power inverter is the power rating listed in watts.

90W power adapters will be efficient for all but the largest laptops but to be 100 percent sure always check the wattage rating listed on your laptops AC adapter.

The rule of thumb is that things will work fine if your power inverter has a higher wattage rating then your laptop AC adapter. So if your laptops AC adapter says 60W and your power inverter says 90W all is good to go.

Just always make sure your power inverter has higher output wattage and you will be fine. Pretty straight forward right?

laptop computer cable lock picture laptop computer accessories

A notebook security lock in a nutshell protects your valuable laptop from an easy theft.

Basically it is a cable that hooks into a special security slot on your laptop and a stationary object to secure it.

Keep in mind that a security lock is not a theft prevention device but more of a theft deterrent device.

Thief's can and will not hesitate to cut cable lock if they see a laptop left unattended for a sustained period of time.

Nevertheless if scum does come your way, they may just walk right past your laptop onto easier prey. Cable locks are great if you are a frequent coffee shop or bookstore junkie.

portable usb mouse picture laptop computer accessories

There's no better way to increase productivity in our opinion then sporting a USB optical mouse.

On top of giving you more precision and comfort over the laptops touchpad, a USB mouse can also help to prevent premature wear & tear on the touchpad surface itself.

If you don't already know, a laptops touchpad has a slippery material coating its surface to help your finger glide over it. Basically over time this service can wear down with frequent use.

The end result is that eventually you have a sticky spot in your touchpad that will get extremely annoying very fast, trust us if you haven't experienced this.

When this happens you are going to need a new touchpad and replacing it is not going to be easy for all but the most technical individuals.

So if you plan on using your laptop often simply pick up one of the million mice manufactured and you're good to go.

We like Logitech and Targus but feel free to pick up any portable laptop mouse that you like, for even the most basic mouse is going to increase your productivity and future proof your laptop investment.

Look for something that is going to be small enough to carry easily with your other laptop accessories but large enough to be comfortable during use.

We like portable mice with retractable USB cords for they are pretty darn cheap, but there are also plenty of wireless options too if you'd prefer them.

portable printer hp portable printer pictures laptop computer accessories

Portable printers can be a necessity for the traveling business professional and they can also make a great companion for photographers and other professionals.

If you can in fact picture yourself using one they will definitely be a great on the go tool for you too.

We like HP's Deskjet portable printers a bit more than Canon simply from personal experience but nevertheless they both make great products.

There are plenty of other manufacturers who make portable printers too so we always recommend you shop around and read some reviews to get a better idea to your needs.

Portable printers normally run off a battery or a power source similar to a laptop. Printing is going to be slower than a full-sized printer but the quality of portable printers is pretty spectacular in our opinion.

Many portable printers even have wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and the older infrared for wire free printing too.

Basically they are a little device that can with the push of a button notify you of a nearby wireless hotspot.

They are especially great because you won't have to pull your laptop out and turn it on to detect the wireless network.

In fact some laptops today have WiFi finders built-in so that you can detect an 802.11 wireless hotspot without ever having to turn the notebook on. Of course not every laptop has this feature yet and even if it did you still will have to pull your laptop out of your laptop bag just to detect a wireless hotspot.

Today there are tons of manufacturers who make laptop computer accessories that offer WiFi Finders. We personally like Kensington WiFi finders but for the most part everything else we've used is very similar.

In our opinion a Wi-Fi finder is going to be most useful for a traveling business user, however if you see yourself using one definitely pick up one of these handy little pieces of laptop tech.

portable webcam logitech webcam pictures

A portable webcam is a great laptop accessory, perfect if you want to keep in touch with family, friends, and business colleagues when on the road or even at home. Portable webcams are especially handy if your existing laptop doesn't have a webcam built-in.

Creative Technologies makes tons of portable laptop webcams, including their Creative WebCam Notebook among others. This particular model is a good example of a well designed portable laptop accessory.

Of course their are other companies that make great webcams too. We are also particuly fond of Logitech webcams.

All manufactures are going to bundle their webcams with software for a variety of tasks such as videoconferencing, sending video e-mail, etc.

Of course you can always use your favorite instant messaging program such as Skype, Aol Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or MSN messeger too if desired.

Great little laptop computer accessory that is perfect if you are traveling and need a bit of extra light to illuminate your keyboard. They are also perfect if you simply need some extra light for any task.

Basically a USB notebook light plugs into any available laptop USB port where it gets its power to illuminate an ultra-bright LED mounted typically on some sort of flexible gooseneck for easy positioning.

Some even have a built-in dimmer control so you can fine tune the brightness to your liking. In fact LEDs are very energy-efficient and thus they draw minimal power so the light itself can last you up to 100,000 hours.

A typical USB laptop light runs just around twenty bucks and there are tons of options out there from various manufactures such as Targus and Kensington among others.

Creative Labs Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset

Are you already an integral part of the online video chat revolution? Want to take full advantage of your brand spanking new laptops built-in web camera? Want a high-fi audio listening experience for games or movies?

If you've answered yes to any of the questions above, you're going to love a USB headset. With a quality, lightweight headset, Skyping and video chatting via all your favorite messaging applications jump to a whole new level. And if you're into gaming or movies, a robust USB headset will make your games and movies come to life.

And since there are a ton of USB headsets available, finding the perfect one for your unique needs is a snap. Some of our favorite USB headset manufacturers include: Logitech, Plantronics, Cyber Acoustics, Microsoft, jWINin, Creative Labs, Inland, Sennheiser, Razer, Altec Lansing, Coby, and Corsair. Told you there are tons available!

Now if you're looking for the best headset for Skype or other video chatting apps, definitely look for a headset that is lightweight. On the other hand if you want to use it for gaming or listening to your favorite movies, forget about lightweight, go for a high-end headset for a truly immersive audio experience.

One of our top picks for basic Skyping and video chatting is the Logitech ClearChat Comfort USB headset. It is light weight, fairly cheap, and audio quality is rock solid.

Now if you're a gamer or movie connoisseur like us, you're going to love the Creative Labs Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless headset. Sound quality is fantastic, and it is wireless too so there is no cumbersome wire to get in your way. On top of this, it is a stylish headset to boot. Of course this beast is heavy, though the minute you fire up your favorite movies or games you will soon forget as you are drawn in by unprecedented levels of audio realism and surround effects.

Check out our hand selected Amazon shopping recommendations and showcase of cool laptop accessories below. Amazon's laptop accessory inventory is quite staggering so were confident you'll find all the laptop gadgets you'll ever need.

Cool Laptop Accessories - External Hard Drives, Portable Cameras, Laptop Podiums, USB Drives & More

Online Vendor	Shopping Category	Vendor Rating
Amazon.com	Best Laptop Accessory Deals	A+

Cool Laptop Accessories

We detail some of our top rated must have cool laptop computer accessories.