Top 10 Accessories for your MacBook-Beyond the Bare Essentials

Okay, so you have the bare essentials for your MacBook already. So, what else is there? Oh, so many wonderful things! But, let’s be sensible about this, so here are our top ten must-have accessories for your MacBook.

External Hard drive

Have you ever considered how many things are on your MacBook that aren’t anywhere else? Photos, documents, songs…memories. Don’t wait until you think your hard drive is failing to start backing up. Pick up an external hard drive, set it up with Time Machine and have piece of mind now.

Grid-It organizer

If you’re wondering how you’ll keep all these accessories organized in your bag, we have the answer for you—The Grid-It from Cocoon. Just a simple set of overlapping elastic bands keeps everything in your bag neat, tidy, and organized.

USB hub

Sometimes you need more than two USB ports. With a USB hub you can connect more USB devices to your MacBook at once! Camera, microphones, your iOS device…maybe even a USB coffee warmer.

Portable power bar

Want to know the secret to making friends in coffee places or airports? Have a power strip in your bag to share outlets with people! Belkin even makes a power bar than rotates to fit the space available and has two USB ports for charging other devices—yes even the iPad.

Video adapters

Want to connect your MacBook to your TV or a projector?You need a DisplayPort adapter for that. Simply has all the connectors you need. Whether you need a VGA connector (for most projectors), DVI (second screen FTW!) or HDMI (to connect to your TV), we have a all the options you might need.

USB flash drives

Sure you can just email a document, but sometimes you just need to copy a file quickly or need a secure (extra) backup of your presentation. Everyone should have a couple USB flash drives in their bag all the time. You just never know when you might need one.

Kensington cable lock

Everyone loves MacBooks—so do thieves—if you have to leave your MacBook for a moment at the cafe or your desk, a Kensington cable lock will make sure your MacBook is still there when you get back.

Headphones

You can’t always blast your music, sometimes you just have to have a pair of headphones so you can watch a video, listen to music, or take that Skype call without bothering other people. Simply has headphones for every need, style, and budget. Come down and check them out.

Twelve South PlugBug or Moshi Rewind

Need to charge your iPad or iPhone on the go but run out places to plug in (even with your power bar)? This is where the PlugBug comes in. The PlugBug attaches to your MacBook power adapter so you can keep your MacBook plugged in and have a USB port to charge your device too! Now, if you have a couple devices that need charging the Moshi Rewind might be just the ticket. The Rewind is a compact charger for USB devices with not just one, but two, USB ports. You can charge an iPad and an iPhone at the same time!

Moshi iVisor Screen protector

The MacBook screen is gorgeous, so keep it that way with the Moshi iVisor anti-glare screen protector. Like the ClearGuard keyboard cover and the iVisors for iOS device, the iVisor for your MacBook is washable and is guaranteed to be bubble free! Bonus!

Doxie Go portable scanner

You might have seen or heard about the Doxie Go portable scanner. It’s a scanner that doesn’t need to be attached to a computer to scan! Essentially, the Doxie Go scanner works like a digital camera for paper. When you scan a photo, receipt, contract, or whatever the image is stored in the Doxie’s own internal memory or an SD card or a flash drive! When you’re done (or back at your desk) you can connect the Doxie Go to your Mac and download the scanned images to your machine. Small and portable the Doxie is a great option for mobile professionals who need a scanner that isn’t tied to their desk. Our accounting department has been using—and loving—one for months.

It was hard to keep to just 10 (okay 11) essentials for your MacBook. There are stands, things to keep the cords at your desk under control, and even little lights to brighten up your keyboard. So if one of these items don’t tickle your fancy, come on into your local Simply Computing store and see what we have. Still looking? Well ask away in the comments and we might be able to find the perfect gadget for you.