[Macworld]

Post your comments for Must-have hardware for your new Mac here

[spiderbat]

I fear that in a near future the must-have hardware for a new mac will include, just to list some items,
- a Firewire-to-something adapter (I'd say something = thunderbolt, bat who knows?)
- an optical drive.

[cycomachead]

I agree AppleCare is useful, but mostly on laptops.

One thing about some of the cheaper display adapters is that they don't always have the strongest connections and won't last as long as some of the Apple ones. However, I don't have experience with that specific monoprice one and at less than half the price, it still is a good deal. Still, I think it's worth considering keeping a VGA adapter especially if you're the kind to do lots of presentations, and quite a few new TVs still have VGA in addition to the many that aren't as new.

[MichelleEris]

There's nothing in that list that I want need, or would use.

[davidagalvan]

Since 2000, I have purchased three new mac laptops: a Ti Powerbook G4 (titanium) in 2001, a Powerbook G4 Aluminum in 2005, and a Macbook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo in 2009.

I decided NOT to purchase AppleCare with any of them. I've never regretted saving that money.

In most cases, if your hardware is going to break in a way that would be covered by the warranty, it is likely to happen within the first year. And that first year warranty is included for free. Warranty extensions have been used to "up-sell" customers via fearmongering by many companies. AppleCare is no different.

[thinkman]

davidagalvan, on 28 December 2011 - 02:34 PM, said:

Since 2000, I have purchased three new mac laptops: a Ti Powerbook G4 (titanium) in 2001, a Powerbook G4 Aluminum in 2005, and a Macbook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo in 2009.

I decided NOT to purchase AppleCare with any of them. I've never regretted saving that money.

In most cases, if your hardware is going to break in a way that would be covered by the warranty, it is likely to happen within the first year. And that first year warranty is included for free. Warranty extensions have been used to "up-sell" customers via fearmongering by many companies. AppleCare is no different.

The telephone support with the APP is worth the price of admission all by itself!

[pawhite524]

Computer speakers may be a "must-have" (they are for me) but $400 USD computer speakers a "must have"? Come on!

[heisetax]

Isn't Apple's price to go from Mini DisplayPort to DVI about $100. $14 seems to be a more reasonable price. These adapters & the Wacom Tablet is all that I like. But I already have a Wacom Bamboo tablet.

These products may be what some need. Actually to come up with 9 non-iOS products must have take 6-7 months to do.

[Maverick513]

The “must have thing” is money. I believe the users have the rights to decide what they “must have”, but not been told.

[Mike]

Recommend a Seiko Label Printer for Mac or PC.
Huge range of labels for a wide variety of tasks.
Of real practical benefit.

[Kees]

if you own a MacBook Air, you would want something more stylish than that LA Robe Air sleeve I'd think.
I bought the Joli leather sleeve (http://shop.joliorig...om/products/mba)
Bit more expensive, sure, but looks really awesome. Even included a personal (hand written) note from the designer, nice touch.

[xenos23]

About the only thing here for which I would have any use is the Applecare protection plan. For everything else, there is an easier or cheaper solution.