Targus has been making notebook accessories for a long time so it's no surprise that they've turned their attention to the burgeoning netbook market as well. Their Netbook Accessory Kit is a trilogy of essentials that's designed to fulfil the needs of most netbook buyers.

The three parts to Targus's kit are their SlipSkin Sleeve, Retractable 4 Directional Scrolling Ultra-Portable Mouse and the Slimline USB 2.0 4-port Hub. All the items are part of Targus's standard product offering and can be purchased separately if you don't want the full kit.

Just in Case

The SlipSkin Sleeve is made from black neoprene and has some nylon trim to jazz it up a little. It's not a bag so it lacks straps as it's intended to offer protection to your netbook when you pop it in your briefcase. Designed for a 10-inch netbook, the SlipSkin Sleeve has a strong zipper and the stitching looks like to can take some pressure. We pulled the bag very firmly and the only point that looked like it might give was at the start of the zipper.

The fit around a 10-inch netbook - we used an Asus Eee PC 1005HA - was generous. The netbook fitted in nicely without being too tight. There was about an inch of spare space at the top of the case so that zip or stitching aren't pulled tight.

The Squeaker

Targus's Retractable 4 Directional Scrolling Ultra-Portable Mouse isn't designed for long-term use. It was very small in the hand but that's the price paid for portability.

The retractable cable stretches out to 90cm, or almost 3 feet, and the mechanism felt reasonably solid although almost every retractable cable we've owned has eventually failed just through wear and tear.

Vertical scrolling using the wheel worked as expected but side scrolling was awkward as the mouse was just too small to hold comfortably while trying to push the button. The left and right mouse buttons were responsive and tracking was accurate.

Hubba Hubba

The Slimline USB 2.0 4-port Hub lives up to its name. It's about the length of the average forefinger with three ports down one side, one at the end and a cable for connecting to your netbook. There's not much to say other than it's small and just worked.

Given that many netbooks ship with a neoprene wallet and the size difference between a full-sized and portable mouse is minor, the most compelling element of the kit is the USB hub. Given that a small hub can be picked up for far less than this entire kit, that might be better bang for buck for many people.

By Anthony Caruana