hub

Thumb

Drive – These things are so handyóno pun intended. Almost every

company that makes digital media makes some kind of USB flash disk or

“Thumb Drive.” GMx gave high praise to the Fuji

USB Key Drive but others are available. Look for durability in the

case designóthe more ruggedized and rubberized the better. Pay attention

to the clip and the ring where the lanyard attaches. Some drives have

both, some have neither. Make sure your’s has what you need. And of course,

look to get the best drive capacity for your money. Give eBay

a search for these from time to time.

Mouse

– I realize, of course, that you don’t really need a mouse if you learn

to master your ‘Book’s trackpad. But some occasions call for dragging

and clicking maneuvers that call out for a good mouse. There are quite

a few “mini mice” on the market that take up minimal space in

your case (I’ve reviewed a Macally

and a Swann)

and there are also full-size mice with retractable cables fit for the

road (the Kensington

Pocket Mouse Pro comes to mind).

Task

Light – If you are not one of the chosen few who can afford a 17″

G4 PowerBook with the fancy-schmancy illuminated keyboard, you will one

day more than likely find yourself in a situation where the ambient light

is so low that you can’t see the keys of your keyboard. In these circumstances

it’s nice to be able to reach into you backpack and pull out a USB powered

keyboard light. There are several makes and models to choose from. Try

to stay away from those that clip to your screenópressure on the

LCD just ain’t healthy. Kensington’s FlyLight is pretty nice.

Card

Reader – If you’ve got a digital camera a 6-in-card reader can be

a lifesaver when your camera’s battery has been drained and you need to

access those pics. Also, while you wait for high capacity thumb drives

to come down in price, you can improvise using much cheaper Compact Flash

cardsóa 128Mb CF card goes for under US$20 these days on eBay.

It doesn’t look nearly as cool clipped to your jeans, but when you’re

on a budget, you do what you have to.

USB

hub – I use these things all the time and I have yet to find one that

I really like and can proclaim to be the one USB hub to rule them all (the ones pictured to the left are quite good, though).

They all seem to sneak their way out of your USB port mid-transfer or

or have the USB plug bust off inside your ‘Book under the strain of the

multitude of attachments. But if you are a gadget addict like I am, they

are a necessary evil.