Laptop Accessories

[Fushigi]

Inspired by sechs' post on the 7-in-1 + FDD, I though I'd ask how people accessorize their laptops around here. I have the following that I always travel with:

1. Netgear WG511T SuperG card
2. IOGear mouse+flash drive
3. Charge-n-sync retractable cable for my Treo phone/pda.
4. Retractable modem/Ethernet cable (freebie from IBM). It's RJ45 with 8-4 pin adapters to make it RJ11 so only 1 cable is needed.

At the office I plug into a docking station. It is of course connected to the LAN and to:

1. Logitech MX700 wireless mouse.
2. Dell 21" monitor. Used to give me dual-1600x1200 displays which is great for PowerPoint and many other things.
3. IBM Model M keyboard. Wish it had a Windows key but it is otherwise indestructible.

Other things that may get hooked up to the laptop on occasion:

1. Dazzle 8-in-1 reader.
2. CF-to-PC Card reader (came with my Microdrive).
3. 180GB WD HD in USB/FW enclosure via Firewire.
4. Canon 5000F scanner.
5. Cheapie headphones.

The laptop comes with the following built-in stuff:

10/100 Ethernet, modem, USB 1.1, Firewire, DVD/CD-RW, dual-batteries (or replace 1 battery with a FDD), 2 PC Card slots, A/V out with S-Video, serial/parallel/mouse+keyboard/etc., UXGA 1600x1200 @ 32 bpp via GeForce440.

 

[Mercutio]

I keep a CF reader and an 802.11A adaptor in mine. I carry a second battery. Anything more and I don't think I'd be portable anymore.

 

[time]

3. IBM Model M keyboard. Wish it had a Windows key but it is otherwise indestructible.

Why in God's name would you want a Windows key?

 

[Tea]

What Time said.....

For My Toshiba, I carry:

PCMCIA Compact Flash card reader.
Kensington Orbit trackball. (Yup - the stupid one that buzzes in your hand - "the New Dimension in Tactile Feedback" - or some such garbage. It's really difficult to get hold of quality trackballs and (provided you don't load the drivers that enable the stupid buzzy thing) this one is fine. It's USB, and the ztupid Toshiba doesn't have a serial port or a PS/2 port, so I had to find something in USB. It doesn't have a scrolly wheel, but I hardly ever use them anyway - changing the font size in Mozilla is just about the only purpose of them, so far as I can tell - so, as an unlooked for bonus, it was half price.
12v DC-AC inverter which lives in the car. No real need for a spare battery, though I might get one anyway one day. Or (better) just ditch the Celeron 2000 in favour of a Pentium M. (Probably Fujitsu.)
Mitsubishi Professional USB keyboard. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. But it's nice to have because if I'm in for a long session, it let's me get a sensible distance away from the screen - to be able to reach the keyboard comfortably, I need to sit a couple of feet closer to the screen than I really like.
USB micro-light thingie. I haven't tried this out yet, but when I'm camping I find not being able to see the keyboard very clearly is an issue. There is a certain amount of light comes off the screen, but the angle isn't right. So I really have to burn a lantern, and the little USB light (it's on one of those bend-it-and-it-stays-the-shape-you-twisted-it-to stalks) might save me doing that. If not, WTF? It was only $15 or something.
Sometimes I remember to take network and modem cables, sometimes I don't. Never seem to use them, except at home, at work, or at the Belinda House, where I have spare ones stashed anyway.

PS: great thread, Fushigi.

 

[Adcadet]

on my school laptop I use nothing. It's Centrino so it's got wireless built in. On my home laptop I use a PCMCIA wireless card, but that's it.

 

[Will Rickards WT]

I carry a mini usb mouse with retractable cord.
I leave the second battery at home where I might actually use it.
At work I plug into a docking station.
At clients I plug into a wall outlet.

 

[Fushigi]

Why in God's name would you want a Windows key?

Win-E, Win-F, and most important, Win-L. I use these heavily. Sure, they're just shortcuts for various other things, but they're much faster and I vastly prefer using the keyboard over the mouse. http://is-it-true.org/nt/utips/utips32.shtml

Kensington Orbit trackball. ... It doesn't have a scrolly wheel, but I hardly ever use them anyway

I thought scroll wheels were useless for the longest time. Then I started using them and now I am very disappointed when I use a machine without one. The wheels seem to make many activities so much easier.

 

[blakerwry]

win-E, brings up explorer for me.. of which I have an icon for in my quick launch... dunno if there is an easy shortcut for this one.

ctrl-F or f3 for find instead of win-F.. depends on where you are.

to lock the computer hit ctrl-alt-del and then enter (winXP pro)

 

[Howell]

Why in God's name would you want a Windows key?

Fushigi is a smart and intelligent guy. Of course he would ask for a windows key. I myself utilize windows+m wuite a bit.

It is the lack of a windows key that may keep me from getting an IBM laptop in the near future.

 

[Mercutio]

Any Windows key combo can be replaced with CTRL-ESC. Which is a combination of keys I'm much less likely to hit on accident. Which is why I run special software to disable the windows key on my game PC.

 

[Howell]

Any Windows key combo can be replaced with CTRL-ESC. Which is a combination of keys I'm much less likely to hit on accident. Which is why I run special software to disable the windows key on my game PC.

I just tried every winkey combination explicitly menationed in this thread and CTRL-ESC does not work for any of them under XP.

 

[Fushigi]

win-E, brings up explorer for me.. of which I have an icon for in my quick launch... dunno if there is an easy shortcut for this one.

As mentioned, I prefer keyboard shortcuts. Especially at the office where I run an effective 3200x1200 display. You learn to minimize mousing.

ctrl-F or f3 for find instead of win-F.. depends on where you are.

That'll bring up the app search box; I want the Windows search box. We have about 200 Windows servers and I frequently have to attach to one to do something. I use Ctrl-F in applications all the time.

to lock the computer hit ctrl-alt-del and then enter (winXP pro)

On my XP Pro when I hit C-A-D and I get the task manager. I can then hit Alt-U and then S to get the lock. Win-L is definitely easier.

The other shortcuts mentioned on my link above I use rarely if ever.

And the magic button I don't use at all is the i button that Dell provides. It's above the F-keys and is kinda near the power button. I actually have it mapped to launch IE and go to one of our Intranet pages but I never use it.

 

[time]

Not sure what Merc means exactly, but certainly, the 'Windows' keys are redundant.

If you just want to bring up the Start menu, Ctrl-Esc is an exact equivalent.

Win-Tab is a poor substitute for Alt-Tab and Alt-Esc.

As Blakerwry points out, the best way to lock your desktop is Ctrl-Alt-Del + Enter. This works with Win2k as well as XP.

Ctrl-Esc + R brings up the Run dialog.

Personally, I don't think Win-F is particularly useful - I normally want to limit the search to a specific drive (often network drives) so never use the Search function on the Start menu. However, if you do, Ctrl-Esc + F + F/Enter will achieve the same thing.

Similarly, I don't often want to minimize everything to expose the desktop - unless I've been slack and stored some temporary documents there. I've seen other pros who don't feel comfortable without 20-odd windows open, yet still never minimize everything.

But if you do want to, it takes a single mouse click - and you will need to grab the mouse anyway to select whatever desktop object you had in mind. So I'd maintain it's actually faster to use the mouse to minimize, and to un-minimize when finished.

Finally, I'd point out that remote control software doesn't pass the Windows keys through to the remote host. I've always defined shortcut keys to access the most important functions, and they work just as well in normal usage.

1. Ctrl-X = Explorer (I use this so much that I don't want to mess about with the 'E' key. You can do this combo instantly by feel alone).

2. Ctrl-C = Calculator

3. Ctrl-S = System command prompt (okay, I've also used 'O' for OS etc - whatever, it's more useful than the Run dialog)

4. Ctrl-D = Database browser of your choice

And on my systems:

5. Ctrl-W = Word processor of your choice

6. Ctrl-O = Organizer (or Outlook etc)

And so on. 'P' for printers, if desired, etc. It only takes a minute to set them up.

I can't even begin to imagine why a lack of a windows key might influence a laptop purchase. Surely, throwing redundant keys overboard is a good thing in this instance?

 

[Tea]

Lack of a Windows key certainly would influence my choice of a laptop.

Which brand was it you said didn't have one? IBM?

I want one!

 

[time]

Ummm, my shortcut key examples should read Ctrl-Alt-X etc.

 

[Fushigi]

As Blakerwry points out, the best way to lock your desktop is Ctrl-Alt-Del + Enter. This works with Win2k as well as XP.

As I pointed out, this does not work. C-A-D brings up task manager on my XP Pro laptop. So, even if it can work that way, it does not always. Win-L will work on any XP install unless the key has been remapped.

While the value of the Win key is debatable as it doesn't really provide new functionality, every example of a shortcut you've provided involves more keystrokes than their Win-key equivalent. And I do pretty much all Win-key combos 1-handed. Doing a 3-key combo 1-handed is decidedly more awkward.

I still use Alt-Tab for task switching. I don't "minimize all" very often and when I do, I do generally use the icon by the Start button and the mouse as, like you mentioned, I typically want to access a desktop icon.

C-A-D doesn't pass through Terminal Services either (at least by default), so I fail to see how the Win key is deficient in that regard.

 

[sechs]

Win-L does not work on Windows XP Home by default. This was a major issue when I was working on The Sims Deluxe Edition.

 

[blakerwry]

As I pointed out, this does not work. C-A-D brings up task manager on my XP Pro laptop.

maybe it's the classic view or the classic logon I have configured? I do have the winXP start menu.

 

[Jan Kivar]

As I pointed out, this does not work. C-A-D brings up task manager on my XP Pro laptop.

maybe it's the classic view or the classic logon I have configured? I do have the winXP start menu.

Fast User Switching needs to be disabled (in User Accounts) to enable the Windows Security screen.

Cheers,

Jan

 

[EdwardK]

Lack of a Windows key certainly would influence my choice of a laptop.

Which brand was it you said didn't have one? IBM?

I want one!

I don't know about the other Series but my IBM T Series (T41) does not have a Windows key. I rarely use the Windows key and does not miss it at all.

Cheers,
Edward