How to Buy Accessories for a Computer

A mouse pad, a surge suppressor and floppy disks (or other removable disks) are essential computer accessories. The need for other accessories depends on your personal taste, physical needs, and desired desktop arrangement.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Endust For Electronics
• Zip Disks
• Zip Drives
• Computer Disks
• Computer Joysticks
• Computer Keyboards
• Computer Microphones
• Computer Speakers
• Mouse Pads
• Printer Cartridges
• Printers
• Recordable CDs
• Scanners
• Surge Protectors
• Printer Paper
• Adobe Photoshop
• Word-processing Software

1. Buy a mouse pad with a durable, anti-peel, anti-static surface.

2. Choose a mouse pad size that fits your desk and allows enough mouse movement for the types of software you and your family will use. Consider mouse pads with built-in wrist support for comfort and prevention of repetitive stress conditions. Some wrist supports are backed with Velcro, allowing you to remove them if you like.

3. Get a wrist rest to use in front of your keyboard if it will add to your comfort. (If you type a lot, you will probably want one.)

4. Read "How to Buy a Surge Suppressor" to learn the buying considerations for those. You must buy a surge suppressor.

5. Get a 10-pack of name-brand floppy disks for a few dollars. Get Zip disks or recordable CDs if your computer has a built-in Zip or CD-R drive.

6. Get a set of replacement printer cartridges to have on hand before you run out of ink.

7. Buy paper for your printer. Read "How to Choose Paper for Your Printer" to learn the buying considerations.

8. Consider storage boxes for removable disks. Get jewel boxes or cases with soft, protective backings to store CDs.

9. Get cleaning supplies such as compressed air and Endust for Electronics or a non-abrasive household cleaning fluid suitable for cleaning plastic.

10. Get a steel-framed or under-desk keyboard tray if your desk lacks a comfortable place to use your keyboard.

11. Consider accessories that will improve your efficiency, such as a monitor clip or easel to hold paper.

12. Consider accessories that might be necessitated by your physical setup, such as a longer telephone cable.

Tips & Warnings

• "Peripherals" (as opposed to accessories) are additional components to connect to your computer (such as a printer, external disk drives, a scanner, and so on).
• Use removable disks to frequently back up your documents. Never use your computer without backing up.
• Most people prefer soft (gel-filled, for example) wrist pads to firm ones.
• Try any comfort-oriented accessories before you buy.