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Netbooks have emerged as a device that transcend the traditional barriers of coolness and are therefore no longer limited to geeks. They have become status symbols for many and manufacturers like Asus have exploited this trend successfully.

Others as well have been able to cash on the fact that many manufacturers have cut back on accessories to save money and give the opportunity to others to grow and build a complete ecosystem, à la Apple iPod/iPhone.

We've rounded up 8 accessories which we think are must haves for any netbook owner. Note that the items come from online UK retailers but similar products can be found in the US.

(1) Memory card
This is possibly the single most important acquisition you will make. All netbooks have a card reader which can read at least SDHC cards. A 32GB SD HC memory card can be purchased in the UK for £65 or less and could multiply the embarked storage space by a factor of five. We consider memory cards to be a much better choice than a 32GB USB drive for a number of reasons - convenience, price, speed and versatility.

(2) Wireless Broadband Dongle
3G wireless dongle give you the possibility of connecting to the internet from anywhere. In the UK, consumers can get pay as you go 3G dongles for as little as £29.99 and some mobile phone networks occasionally have fire sales with broadband dongles for as cheap as £5.

(3) Netbook Sleeve
If your netbook did not come with any protection or casing, then you might want to get a Neoprene Sleeve for as little as a few pounds. A good sleeve will have ample space and/or additional pockets for the power adaptor and accessories as well and may include a shoulder strap.

(4) Mouse
If you prefer to use a mouse rather than a netbook's normally tiny touchpad, maybe you should be looking at a mini mouse. Labtec, Targus, Cherry and Kensington have reasonably cheap and affordable notebook mice that should allow you to make the most of your netbook while on the move or on a desk. Still better, like our inhouse dev guru Calvin, get  a USB 3D Optical finger mouse.

(5) Laptop Skin
Why not add some character to your netbook and personalise it to your taste. Wrappz for example sells laptop skins for as little as £10 each featuring some classics like Banksy, Pulp Fiction, Madonna, Scarface and Taxi Driver. Note that the skins are normally applied only to the outside of your laptop (i.e. at the back the screen).

(6) Memory
A 1GB memory module can cost as little as £10 and can massively boost your netbook's performance within a few minutes. Try to find out whether you can upgrade your netbook first before making the purchase as some of the earlier netbooks do not allow extra RAM.

(7) Extended Warranty
Warranty extension could be a good option for your netbook especially if it was an expensive one. Asus offers three year extensions albeit at a cost but it should be noted that some netbooks come with a two year warranty already. Check also if the battery is covered in the warranty.

(8) USB Connectivity Kit
How many times have you been left irate because you couldn't get your hands on a particular USB cable? There are USB connectivity kits for sale for as little as £5 which ideally would include a retractable cabling unit as well as USB adaptors or convertors. While you are at it, you might want to get a card reader as well as a USB port multiplier as well.