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Feature: A Notebook's Hidden Costs

When shopping for a new notebook, some people enter an altered state in which excitement trumps reason. Giddy over their new purchase, these unsuspecting souls haven't considered the cost of essential notebook extras.

What follows are some "hidden" notebook costs--add-ons that, at least in my opinion, most new notebook users may need.

Extra Battery Power

Notebooks have come a long way in terms of stretching battery power, particularly those built on the Intel Centrino platform. Still, there are ways to extend battery life even farther.

Some notebooks come with drive bays that can hold a CD/DVD drive such as a DVD burner, or, when the optical drive has been removed, a second battery that supplements the primary battery. The downside: Not having quick access to the CD/DVD drive, because an extra battery is in its place, can be inconvenient.

With IBM's ThinkPad R51, for instance, you can pop a second, long-life battery ($170) into the notebook's Ultrabay. IBM claims you can go for nearly 9 hours on one charge with both the standard and long-life batteries installed. In PC World tests, the R51's main battery lasted nearly 4 hours. We didn't test the second, longer-life battery, however.

Other notebook makers offer optional long-life batteries that fit into the same slot as the standard battery. You either power the notebook with the standard battery, or you use a longer-life battery in its place. You can't run off the combined power of both batteries, as you can with the ThinkPad R51 and its brethren. Also, long-life batteries are often bigger and heavier than standard ones.

For example, Dell's Inspiron 700m comes with a 4-cell lithium ion battery. For an additional $59, you can get an 8-cell battery instead, which Dell says lasts twice as long.

Bottom Line: Spending an extra $60 to $170 to extend your battery life is essential, unless you plan to never use your notebook away from an AC power source.

External Monitor, Keyboard, and Pointing Device

Why would you want these things when your notebook has them built in? Think about neck pain. Imagine eye strain. Visualize aching hands. Get the picture?

If not, let me simplify this for you. Many mobile professionals use a notebook as their desktop PC. Trouble is, when you type for hours on a notebook, you're asking for a repetitive strain injury. Connecting your notebook to an external monitor, keyboard, and pointing device, such as a mouse--and placing all this on an ergonomic desk--minimizes RSI risks.

If you don't already have these peripherals, you can pick them up inexpensively. For example, a 17-inch Dell CRT monitor goes for $159, and Dell LCD screens start around $224. Dell's wireless keyboard and mouse for Windows XP systems is $60. Check them out at Dell's Web site.

You can often find such peripherals for less on EBay or other sites, like the PC World Product Finder. Search the following Product Finder pages for the latest prices: CRT Monitors, LCD Monitors, Keyboards, and Mice/Trackballs.

And you may already have an extra monitor, keyboard, or mouse somewhere around your office or home.

Bottom Line: Do you value your neck, hands, and eyes? Then why are we quibbling over a couple hundred dollars?

Docking Station

Now that you have all these peripherals--not to mention a printer and an external hard drive for backing up your data--what about a docking station?

A docking station provides a convenient way to connect your peripherals to your notebook. Slide your notebook into the docking station, then connect your accessories to the station. When it's time to hit the road, just disengage the notebook instead of having to disconnect all those peripherals. Sweet.

FYI: Docking stations, expansion bases, and port replicators are similar in function, but they're not identical. A port replicator provides your notebook with USB or other port connections. A docking station or expansion base may add other features, such as a hard drive. For example, the HP Notebook Expansion Base Xb2000 ($250) provides extra USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks, and an optional internal hard drive that's ideal for backup or extra storage. (The base with hard drive is $400.)

Bottom Line: Is a docking station worth the extra $250 or so? Yes, if you have a lot of peripherals and take your notebook on the road at least once a week. Maybe, if you have three or fewer peripherals and travel with your notebook a few times each month. Probably not, if you have three or fewer add-ons and your notebook rarely sees the outside world.

The Final Bottom Line

The accessories I've detailed above will set you back a total of about $510 to $620.

There are plenty of other add-ons you might need, too. Among them: a padded notebook bag; an extended warranty and/or notebook insurance; and a cable lock to secure your notebook from thieves.

As you can see, the "hidden" costs of a notebook purchase can add up quickly. So plan ahead: Before you buy, take into account the cost of any notebook options or accessories you'll need and add it to your budget.

If you're unsure whether you need a particular accessory, don't buy it until you've lived with the notebook a while. You might decide you didn't need it, after all.