If you are like most laptop owners, your laptop is one of your essential pieces of your “life equipment.” These items would include your cell phone, maybe a PDA, your automobile and such. Having the right accessories for these pieces of equipment can make their functionality and ease of use to greatly improve. Let's discuss the available types of accessories available for your laptop that are essential.

If you are a business traveler these accessories can be even more crucial and indispensable.

I'm sure you've had moments when you couldn't locate a file that you knew you had stored on your laptop. The feeling of panic can be terrible until you find it. Imagine your hard drive failing (it happens!). You would lose all your important files – pictures, videos, everything.

Therefore, first and most important is external storage. External storage can be something as simple as a thumb drive or a large external drive (at this writing up to 2 Terabyte systems are available from the major Hard Drive Manufacturers). The type of external storage you select will depend on your needs. If you just keep basic files (i.e. “Word” documents or spreadsheets, etc) then a thumb drive could be enough (and they are very inexpensive). If you plan on storing large files such as lots of photos and videos then you may need to step up in capacity with an external hard drive.

Thumb drives are available at almost any electronics or “tech” store and are as simple to use as plugging into your USB connection on the side or back of your laptop. External Hard Drives are available from Computer and Electronics stores.

A laptop carrying case is one of the Best Laptop accessories you can get if you are a frequent traveler. Try to purchase a laptop carrying bag that has plenty of compartments for all those notebook peripherals. Always check to see if your laptop or notebook will fit.

A word of caution that is actually a "Safety and Security" item - you might want to consider the laptop cases that look more like a simple backpack. There are thieves in airports just looking for the cases that scream, "I have a laptop inside me!". If your case looks less likely to contain a laptop the potential thief may pass you by for a more obvious take. In addition, these cases can actually hold much more then the more typical (flat) cases.

Many of us travel to places outside the US that may not have the same standards on the supply of power for your laptop. Because of this another essential item you should have in your laptop accessories is a travel size Surge Protector. These devices are not just for use during thunder storms! Faulty lines can zap your laptop anytime. So make sure to purchase one of these and take it with you for your next overseas trip.

One item that I have found invaluable is a wireless mouse. The main reason for this accessory is convenience and comfort. In any situation you can use this device in a comfortable position. The only issues I've encountered are with reflective or transparent (glass) surfaces. These optical mice can have difficulty working properly so you may need to also keep a mouse pad with you to ensure the mouse is always on an acceptable surface. And don't forget to keep spare batteries (usually small AA or AAA).

With the right accessories, your laptop can become something that is not only more comfortable to work on for long periods of time, but you can also make it safer (from electrical spikes, etc) and well as more secure (with appropriate filters – spyware, virus protection, etc.).