In your rush to get out of the house or office, you may forget to pack everything you need in your laptop bag. As a quick checklist, be sure to bring along the following:
1. Power cord/adapter
Having your power cord and adapter is a must. You never know if an appointment will go longer than expected, you may have extra time to sit and work on your laptop, or the opportunity to charge the battery may just present itself. If you find yourself to be very forgetful, buy a second power cord and adapter and leave it in your bag – that way you cannot forget it.
2. Mouse
Even though your laptop comes with a pointing device built in (either a touchpad, track point, or other device); sometimes you may require the precision of a regular mouse. Also, if you are working for an extended period of time, a mouse can reduce the amount of strain put on your hand. Usually, a USB mouse is probably the easiest to pack as most laptops have a free USB port that you can use. Should you decide to bring a wireless mouse, be sure to pack the receiver and an extra set of batteries.
3. Office supplies
You should always have some basic office supplies in your notebook bag such as pens, paper, paperclips, stapler, etc. Bring those items based on what you would or could use in an average day. Be sure to bring at least one paperclip, just in case your DVD or CD drive won’t open – you can use the paperclip to open it in a jiffy.
4. Spare battery
If you have a spare battery; be sure to bring it with you. Just make sure that you charge the battery before you go out on the road – it won’t be much good to you if it is not charged up.
5. Removable Media
You never know when you might have to burn a CD or DVD, make a backup for a client, or create a “hard” copy of something on your hard drive. Bring some CDs and DVDs (provided your laptop has a CD or DVD burner) along just in case you might need them. Also consider bringing along a USB flash drive with you, as it makes it easy to transfer information from your computer to another.
6. Computer cables
Be sure to bring all the cables you might need. Ethernet, USB printer cables, phone cable (should you use dial-up or need faxing capability), FireWire, power cable, etc. If you bring along a digital camera, don’t forget about bringing the USB cable to hook it up to your computer.
7. Headphones and headset
Be sure to bring some comfortable headphones. Not only do they give you some privacy (if you are listening to music or a book on tape), but it is also courteous to others around you.
Bring a headset as well. Since the introduction of voice-over-ip (VoIP) telephone service, as long as you have an internet connection, your computer can be used as a telephone. It is also handy when you are chatting or using voice-recognition software (for example Dragon Naturally Speaking.) You can get both wired and wireless (via Bluetooth) depending on your notebooks’ capability.
8. Travel surge protector
At home, most people would plug their notebook into a surge protector. On the road most people do not take the time to do so. Bring along and use a travel surge protector – for five to twenty dollars it will protect your investment.
9. Laptop lock or alarm
Bring along an anti-theft device for your notebook. Get a lock or an alarm that sounds when your laptop is moved - it will protect you machine from being stolen.
This is not a complete list but rather a sample of what you should bring. Depending on your situation you may bring a printer, USB hub, external disk drives, etc. Just be sure that when you do leave home, the above items are in your laptop bag. You will need them.
Article written by Marc Norris. Learn more about life with a laptop at our laptop blog. Copyright © 2007 Marc Norris. This article may be freely distributed with this box intact.
