What computer accessories to carry with you

On a daily basis you may carry your computer or tablet around with you, from home to school or to meetings. What accessories should you include in your case when you travel around during your day? First and foremost is the charger for your tablet or computer. You never know when you will need it. One of the ways you can avoid having to drag your charger around is to purchase another one for your classroom. I know that some of these chargers are expensive but you can sometimes find cheaper ones on the Internet at Amazon or Cyberguys. Just make sure you get the right one and check the reviews before you buy. Some chargers are small enough that they don't add too much weight or inconvenience so that won't be a problem. You can also get portable chargers for your devices but the devices for your tablets are usually bigger, heavier and more expensive than the ones you might be used to for your phone. I don't carry one since I try to have my computer/tablet charged and ready to roll before I leave the house. Another toy that might be useful is a small USB hub if you tend to attach several peripheral items to your computer through the USB or if your device does not have enough USB ports. However, there are several tablets that do not have USB ports (Apple for one) and others that only have a mini-USB port. In that case, you will either need a mini-USB converter cable to plug into your computer or you are out of luck. In fact, most tablets do not have the power to support more than one USB device anyway. If you use your computer/tablet for the classroom, you may want a VGA adapte r for the projector in your room. The type of adapter you get will be determined by the type of tablet you have and you will probably will not need one if you have a computer since most computers have a VGA port already. The Surface and other tablets will have an HDMI (High Density Multimedia Interface) port. So you will need to get one of those. Apple has a different type (surprise, surprise) that is connected through the docking port where you charge the tablet. If you have a lot of pictures from your camera you might want an external card reader to read your camera's SD card. Again, it depends on the tablet. Of course, just loading your pictures on the iCloud, Skydrive or whatever Internet storage you use) will be easier in the long run. Same for your phone's pictures. If you have an Apple product you are probably using the iCloud already. Most other devices do have some type of Internet storage you get with the product. This is also a great place to backup your files. (If you don't already backup files onto another device or storage place, you need to do that NOW! My motto is "backup, backup and, if in doubt, backup again. I have a backup of my backup and, yes, I have had to use the backup's backup.) One thing that I use frequently is a presentation device that also has a laser pointer. I have written about one of my favorites in a previous post. They almost never need additional software to run. Just give the computer/tablet a chance to recognize the device and off you go. That way you are no longer tied to the computer/device or have to rely on a student to advance slides. I am a touch typist from years gone by and I prefer an external keyboard to using the on screen keyboard so I always buy a case with a separate keyboard. The Surface RT and Pro have a proprietary keyboard that you can purchase separately that is great and it doubles as a cover (2 for 1!) but it is over $100. Several other tablets have an additional keyboard that connects directly to the tablet (see my previous post on the Asus Transformer). But many tablet do not and you will to rely on a bluetooth or mini-USB keyboard. They even have smaller keyboards for the 7" tablets but it is harder to use unless you have tiny hands. You can also get projection keyboards for around $100 (The keyboard is projected onto a flat surface from a box the size of a deck of cards and the box will keep track of your hand movements or key strokes). But I don't think they are worth the money. The one problem with bluetooth keyboards is you have to charge them separately and then turn them on as well as connect them to the tablet. And, as I mentioned before, several tablets do not have a USB port for a keyboard so be aware. Still, I like the separate keyboards better than the ones on the tablet screen. It is faster and easier for me. You may feel differently, especially if you are not a touch typist. How about a stylus for the screen? Me, I never use them. There is never a place to put them that is convenient and they are like pens in my purse, always and the bottom and hard to find when I need them. So, in the end, I always have my VGA converter, my charger, the keyboard (usually in the case or the type that is connects directly to the tablet) and a mini-USB adapter. I also carry a flashdrive because you never know when it may come in handy and they are small so they don't take up very much room.