In the meantime, I recently purchased a wireless mouse for my netbook, and it works in any screen orientation.
A Netbook Docking Station
Unlike standard-size notebooks, netbooks usually forego an integrated DVD player. This is fine if you plan on downloading all your movie content from a service like Netflix or Apple’s iTunes. But if you have movies on DVDs and would like to play them on a netbook, you need a DVD player.
I recently got a chance to review an interesting netbook accessory—a combo DVD player and hard disk. The Aegis NetDock from Apricorn is a 3-in-1 USB docking station that incorporates a 500-Gbyte hard disk, a dual-layer DVD burner, and a four-port USB hub.
The Aegis NetDock is about the size of a portable DVD player. When it’s mounted in the vertical position, though, it has a footprint about the size of a staple gun.
Connecting the NetDock to the netbook is as simple as connecting the included USB cable to both devices. To play a DVD on the netbook, I had to install player software that came with the NetDock. I didn’t think about the fact that without a built-in DVD player, the netbook might not be prepared to play DVDs, but it makes sense.
The candy-apple colored NetDock comes with an ac adapter and needs to be plugged in, so it is meant to sit on a desk, like any other docking station. Included in the four-port USB hub are two always on USB ports, which you can use for charging mobile phones and MP3 players.
The Aegis NetDock costs $189 with a 500-Gbyte hard drive and $89 without. The latter model can be upgraded at any time, since the enclosure fits any 2.5-in., 9.5-mm SATA hard drive. It would make a nice gift for any college student using a netbook in a cramped dorm room.