Laptops usually come with modular, or swappable, bays that allow you to remove floppy drive, DVD drive and even hard drive. There are many reasons why this is convenient for you. For example, if you use different media for storing data, you can easily switch back and forth between media types.

The laptop is powered by an AC cord. This power supply allows laptop to plug into a wall and a simple ordinary plug in. This makes it easy to plug your laptop in almost anywhere you go. The only downside is that many contain power brick that can get in way if you are working in a very small space. If this is a problem for you, you can look into more compact devices that will help you when you are working gin small space.

You know that biggest reason why someone gets a laptop is for mobility. The greatest part of laptop is ability to use batteries and travel anywhere with your computer. You can use AC cord just to plug it in when you need to recharge batteries. You can also get extra batteries as backup if you will be away from a power source for a while.

Don’t just run out and get any UPS. You want to get an intelligent one. The ‘intelligent’ UPS will regulate power without having to hit battery every time voltage takes a dip which greatly improves battery longevity. They also include options to hook power supply up to your computer via a serial or USB port so you can monitor what power is doing. This also gives option to allow for a soft shut-down if power goes out and you are away from your desk.

You can get an Uninterruptible Power Supply at most computer stores. Best Buy carries a fairly wide selection of them.

As for brands, I’ve personally used APC with much success. Opti-UPS is another excellent brand. In fact, I have an Opti that is 6 years old and still works fine, although batteries now have no life to them. (That’s to be expected. Rechargeable batteries only last so long)

Now that you know of importance of a UPS I would strongly encourage you to invest in one. It is far better to spend $100 now on some preventative maintenance than having to spend much more later on data recovery.