We take for granted just how impressive laptop computers are. As this form factor becomes the standard way most people do traditional computer tasks, it becomes more and more necessary to get the most out of our portable computers.
The key to making the most of your laptop lies in the humble USB port. Whatever laptop you have, even if it's a MacBook, you've got at least a few of these infinitely flexible connectors—and if you plug the right accessories into them, a whole new world of computing power opens up to you wherever you may go.
Miniature storage and transfer tools save time on the go
I decided to stick with the 512GB of base storage on my M4 MacBook Pro because Apple charges an arm and a leg for storage, and I knew I'd be able to get by with that amount. However, I've always used a USB-C SSD with my MacBooks to store stuff I don't always need access to. For example, I enjoy playing Baldur's Gate 3 , but it takes up a huge amount of space on my Mac's SSD. So, I just play it off a 500GB Samsung external SSD.
The problem is that having an SSD hanging off your laptop isn't very elegant or convenient. I'd thought about using one of these SSD pouches that stick to the back of your laptop screen, but then I saw these awesome little high-speed Extreme Fit flash drives from SanDisk that are designed to be left plugged in. You can freely open and close the laptop's lid and otherwise use it as normal. The rated read speed isn't far off the SATA SSD I'm already using, so this is one accessory that's going on my personal shopping list.
SanDisk
If the performance of a flash drive isn't enough for you, there's also the option of an SSD "stick." These are full-fledged external SSDs, but in the form factor of a flash drive. There's also this very interesting Lexar Professional Go SSD, which is tiny and, of course, works with more than just a laptop.
Lexar
Travel-size input devices boost comfort and accuracy
My current Windows laptop is a desktop-replacement beast with a full-size keyboard that includes a full numpad. As you can imagine, this is not the laptop I grab on the way out the door. Instead my daily driver is a MacBook Pro which doesn't have any room for a numpad. If you've ever tried doing your budget or work a spreadsheet without a numpad, you'll know that only madness lies down that path, which is why I bought a USB numpad that my wife and I share. Whenever someone needs to do math, we can plug it in and get the work done in no time.
If (for some reason) you like mechanical keyboards, you can even get a mechanical USB numpad , but honestly, the variations and options are endless.
But, what I use my Windows laptop for most is as my primary PC gaming system.It's an excellent machine for that purpose, but using the built-in keyboard to play games is awful. Even if the keyboard itself is fine, there's no way to use the WASD keys that is both at a comfortable wrist and viewing angle. The two are mutually exclusive. So, for many years, I've been using a one-handed USB keyboard for maximum comfort.
Sydney Louw Butler/How-To Geek
The one I use is specifically the Razer Tartarus V2 , but there are other models and other brands with similar products. You still need to use the laptop's own keyboard for auxiliary keys to do things like opening the inventory, but that happens no matter what keyboard arrangement you use. My wife uses her Razer Tartarus as a macro pad for Premiere Pro. It's not just about games.
Pocket-sized hubs and adapters expand your laptop's capabilities
Ultra-compact laptops are understandably extremely popular these days, but they have a tendency to lack ports. My own M4 MacBook Pro isn't too bad on that front. It has two Thunderbolt ports on the left side with a separate MagSafe charging port, and on the right there's a full HDMI port, another Thunderbolt port, and an SD card reader.
However, my previous MacBook Air only had two Thunderbolt ports in total and a lot of people out there are in the same boat. This was why I invested in a dual-port hub for my Air, which is also now compatible with my MacBook Pro. Specifically, I got one of the Hyperdrive hubs .
Sydney Louw Butler/How-To Geek
This is useful in two ways. First, I can just easily take this with me in the same laptop sleeve my actual computer uses, which has a little pouch for cables and junk. Second, I can just leave this at home with all the cables plugged in, and then have a single item to plug in to I can dock to my desktop setup.
Of course, if you don't have a Mac or other type of laptop that can use these types of hub, there are still plenty of compact hubs that work with a single cable, like the all-purpose USB-C hub from Anker .
The list of options goes far beyond this. Nano USB receivers can improve Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, USB Ethernet adapters are great when you need to download something big fast, and compact USB speakers can overcome the awful built-in speakers most laptops have. Those USB ports are worth their weight in DDR5 RAM .
