What About Technology? Laptop Gadgets for Back to School | What About Technology?

Here’s what’s wrong with today’s laptops. They’re so thin and light that manufacturers are having to eliminate ports for connecting hard drives. This Macbook Air only has two USB-C ports. So anyone with a newer laptop, especially students, will need accessories.

An external hub is essential. This one uses just one USB-C port to add connections for three standard USB cards, an SD and a micro-SD, another USB-C port and an HDMI port for connecting to an external monitor or projector. It also allows for fast smartphone charging.

One thing I miss on today’s laptops is a DVD-CD drive. The portable optical drive connects to a single USB-C port for watching movies and browsing and saving files.

Your college student may be asked to copy a project from their computer and paste or transfer it to another device. A flash drive is ideal for transferring files from one computer to another.

Dorms and apartments rarely have enough outlets. They can use a power strip. I like Anker surge protectors. Six outlets, two standard USB and one fast-charging USB-C.

A laptop stand will prevent back and neck pain by raising your laptop to eye level. They are portable, but I find they are best kept on a desk for long computer sessions.

They’ll need to use an external keyboard, though. This Bluetooth keyboard from Logitech connects to three devices, which you can switch between with a single button. Add a Bluetooth mouse, too. You can find keyboard-mouse combos for under $30.

For college students working from a small desk in a dorm or apartment, these gadgets are essential for their versatility and convenience. All cost less than $50.