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Netbooks have taken the portable computing world by storm in the last twelve months with everyone from students to professionals enjoying the ultra-portable form factor as a cheap and easy way to get online whilst out and about. Here we bring you the best accessories for your netbook that will enhance your experience.

 

1. Sleeve

The beauty of the smallest netbooks is that they can be slung into your purse, rucksack or briefcase. You might want a little extra protection before undertaking such slinging though, and Belkin offers a range of hardy neoprene sleeves for netbooks as small as 7-inches. The range is available in "jetset" red, "plum berry", "techno" blue, black and "monument" grey.

[ Belkin ]

 

 

2. Case

If you do want to go for a fully-fledged case for your little laptop then Belkin also has you covered with a couple of options available in again as small as 7-inches. With the same colour choices, this protective case will fit your netbook snugly and comes with a detachable strap so it can be used as a simple tote too.

[ Belkin ]
 

 

 

3. Speakers

Chances are your netbook's built-in speakers are pants. If you want to get any kind of decent audio out of your mini-system on the go then you'll need to opt for some plug-in speakers to blast out the sound. Logitech offers the LS11s, a pair of 2.0 stereo speakers that'll give you 3.5 Watts of noise – and – crucially for Linux-based PCs, are compatible with the open source software, as well as with Windows and Macs.

[ Logitech ]  

 

 

4. External hard drive

Although later netbooks boast that now-standard 160 GB hard drive, many early Eees only offered 2 GB or 4 GB of storage. If you have one of these options then it's likely you'll need a little extra capacity. Toshiba's portable external hard drive is available for around $75 and offers 250 GB of on-the-go storage in what's arguably a slim, sleek and stylish design.

[ Toshiba ]  

 

 

5. Portable printer

If you've opted for a teeny netbook, then chances are you want a teeny printing solution to go with it. This portable printer from Pentax, the PocketJet 3, works with virtually any OS you can throw at it, and measures 1.18-inches by 10.04-inches by 2.17-inches. It can print up to three A4 pages per minute on Pentax's thermal paper, so ideal for those quick print jobs on the road.

[ Pentax ]  

 

 

6. USB flash drive

If you don't want to opt for an external hard disk drive or you need to transfer files easily as you use your netbook out and about while using another PC at home or in the office, then a USB drive is going to be your best bet for ultra-portable easy storage. This Kingston option will give you a whopping 64 GB of storage and wil play nice with Windows, Macs and Linux-based machines. 

[ Kingston ]  

 

 

7. Portable keyboard

A good majority of netbook keyboards are bloomin' tiny and anyone with hands bigger than the average 8-year-old's will struggle to type at any kind of pace. For Windows-based netbooks we love this Adesso keyboard, that's full size but foldable for easy portability. In addition it's waterproof and therefore washable, so you can whip it out anywhere and just get on with it.

[ Adesso ]  

 

 

8. Optical drive

LG's catchily-named GP08LU10 will give your netbook what it almost certainly ain't got — the ability to read and write CDs and DVDs. Capable of reading and writing pretty much all the CD and DVD formats you'd want, this slimline drive weighs in at just 380 grams and offers Lightscribe's "Direct Label" printing technology if you're the type that likes to make your discs look purty.

[ LG ]
 

 

 

9. USB hub

Although not the prettiest of peripherals, Lindy's USB 4-port sharing hub has some nifty features that might persuade you to look past its ugly white plastic exterior. As well as extending your netbook's connections by four, it will let you share up to four USB 2.0 devices between two computers.


[ Lindy ]  

10. Mouse

You've got yourself a mini 'puta, you're going to want a mini-mouse to match. Brando offers one that fits the tiny criteria and gives you 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity so you'll be lead-free. Available in black and silver, it charges up via USB for literally palm sized mousing action.

[ Brando ]
 

 

 

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News by company:
Toshiba, Brando, Logitech, Kingston, Belkin, Pentax, Adesso, Lindy
News by glossary term:
Netbook, USB Drive
News by brand:
Asus Eee PC
Profile pages:
Pentax PocketJet 3, Adesso Flexible Full-Sized Keyboard, Logitech LS11

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mike schriner external link (8:27 PM on Sat Nov 7, 2009)

The best netbook and laptop accessories I have found are at newpcgadgets. They have clever gift ideas and cool products for laptops, pc's and mobile phones

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