Building a better Mac doesn’t stop with components like RAM. Upgrading your Mac’s peripherals can refresh your entire computing experience, and the only hard part is plunking down a credit card.

Still using your Mac’s original keyboard and mouse–only now they’re covered by a thin layer of finger grime? That display starting to look a little dingy and dull? Is your external hard drive running out of room for all your cat photos, or are you interested in stepping up to a network drive so you can access your files from anywhere?

Upgrading your Mac’s accessories and peripherals is a no-brainer–after all, they’re such an integral part of the Mac experience. Plus, unlike when upgrading internal components, you won’t have to dig around inside your Mac’s case or fumble with a bunch of screws that seem as small as the period at the end of this sentence. Really, the shopping is the hardest part.

As always, we’re here to make it easier with our picks for the best keyboards, mice, all-in-one printers, displays, external hard drives, and network storage. Each category has budget, midrange, and high-end options because as much as we love our Macs, we all still gotta eat.

 

All-in-One Printers

 

To get your ideas on paper or to scan papers into your Mac, a jack-of-all-trades printer is just the thing.

 

HP Officejet Pro 8500 Wireless All-in-One

 

Who says inkjet owners need to lust after laser printers? The Officejet Pro 8500 might invert that expectation with its speedy 35-page-per-minute black and 34-page-per-minute color prints. With up to 1,200 dpi (dots per inch) for black and 4,800 dpi for color, the crisp results stand up to family scrutiny or business presentations. You can even reach it over an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, like a typical laser printer. But a typical laser lacks the Officejet’s individual color cartridges, which let you replace each color as it runs out. Advantage: inkjet all-in-one.

HP · $399.99 · hp.com

 

Canon Pixma MX340

 

You got your photo printer in my fax machine! You got your scanner in my copier! This budget printer touches many categories, all great for a home office. There’s a 30-sheet feeder to queue up copies, scans, and faxes, and from your Mac, you can decide whether to print over USB 2.0 or Wi-Fi. You can even print photos from an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, or iPod touch through Wi-Fi. You got your printer in my party trick!

Canon · $99.99 · canon.com

 

Epson Artisan 810 All-in-One

 

Like other inkjet all-in-one printers, the Artisan 810 (5 out of 5 stars, Dec/09) prints, scans, faxes, and more. Built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking interfaces let anyone in your household print, even directly onto inkjet DVDs. You can also print from an iPhone over Wi-Fi through the free Epson iPrint app, and the touchscreen panel directly allows printing and copying too. The Artisan is versatile enough for working from home or for doing homework, producing great-looking text and copies.

Epson · $299.99 · epson.com

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Keyboards

 

You touch your keyboard all day long, so you might as well get a nice one.

 

Matias Tactile Pro 3

 

You might type more than a thousand words in a single day, so your fingers will thank you for a high-end keyboard. The Tactile Pro 3’s mechanical key switches feel like a clackity dream–but only if you can put up with the sound. Its distinct springs help you hear and feel each key press, which is a striking difference compared with a mushy rubber-membrane keyboard where you can’t always feel if you’ve pushed far enough. In addition to its Mac layout, this keyboard also has markers for all special characters, so you’ll never stab randomly to find an accent, copyright symbol, or Greek omega again.

Matias · $149.95 · matias.ca

 

Apple Wireless Keyboard

 

Great design can be more about taking away than adding on. This tiny keyboard (5 out of 5 stars, Mar/08) shaves off nearly all of its extraneous edges to leave just the keys. And that’s really what it’s all about. It even cuts the number pad, but when was the last time you relied on those redundant buttons? More importantly, it cuts away the cable. All that’s left is a battery-powered Bluetooth keyboard with an elegant, aluminum style. Taking things away never felt like such a gain.

Apple · $69 · apple.com

 

Kensington SlimType Keyboard

 

Scissors aren’t just for barbers; laptop keyboards usually include a scissor switch in each key. These Y-shaped levers tilt in a similar manner to your stylist’s tools. The SlimType Keyboard takes those sharp key mechanisms to your desktop, so if you like the feel of a MacBook or another laptop’s keyboard, you’ll get nearly the same action. It even adds a number pad, media-playback buttons, and full-sized F-keys. Your fingers will thank you for the short travel distance, plunking down prose like rocks skipping on a glassy lake.

Kensington · $39.99 · kensington.com

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Mice

 

It’s an infestation of dreamy point-and-click peripherals.

 

Kensington SlimBlade Trackball

 

Mousing can be a chore, especially if you’ve upgraded to a high-resolution screen, say, 1920×1200 or more, or you rock a double-display setup. If that’s you, go for the SlimBlade Trackball (4 out of 5 stars, Jun/09). Spin its meaty sphere, and the pointer effortlessly responds, sprinting across massive monitors. It’s as elegant as it is gentle on your wrist. You can even twist the ball to scroll or click two of its four buttons to enable commands like zooming or pausing iTunes.

Kensington · $129.99 · kensington.com

 

Apple Magic Mouse

 

Want to touch the future? Apple’s Magic Mouse (4 out of 5 stars, Jan/10) grafts multitouch gesture commands onto a Bluetooth pointer. It might feel–or sound–clumsy at first; we’re fans of tactile buttons too. But a few simple commands instantly become natural. You can use scroll gestures anywhere on the surface or make swiping motions to browse through certain items, like your iPhoto library. It might even speed up your Mac control while adding a touch of whimsy.

Apple · $69 · apple.com

 

Logitech Corded Mouse M500

 

Some days, it feels like wireless technology should’ve come first and wired should’ve been the upgrade. Just plug it in, and it works: no syncing or recharging. The M500 hits this utilitarian target while adding a few extras that should outclass your original pointer. The big, weighted scrollwheel whisks through documents, and you can also tilt to navigate horizontally. Forward and Back buttons help web surfers, and its laser-based sensor delivers excellent movement tracking.

Logitech · $39.99 · logitech.com

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Displays

 

“I can see clearly now. I can see all icons on my display.”

 

LaCie 730 LCD 30-inch

 

Your Mac is a creative powerhouse. Even your home-office hardware can be good enough to create box-office blockbusters, but you’ll need a high-end display to match. LaCie stakes its reputation on its 2560×1600 730 LCD and its superb color reproduction. The display includes a calibration tool so that you can be absolutely sure that what you see on the screen matches the final look of your movie, magazine, or other visual media. Sure, it’s overkill for most home users, but visual-media pros will see the difference.

LaCie · $3,599.99 · lacie.com

 

Apple LED Cinema Display 24-inch

 

Apple’s 1920×1200 LED Cinema Display (4 out of 5 stars, Apr/09) nails both crisp design and bright images. You can connect the Mini DisplayPort plug to any recent Mac Pro, iMac, Mac mini, or Mac laptop, but it won’t work with an older Mac that lacks a Mini DisplayPort connection using Apple’s adapters. Three USB 2.0 ports, built-in speakers, and an iSight camera pile on useful extras. The Cinema Display especially shines with a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air because its built-in MagSafe power connector charges those laptops.

Apple · $899 · apple.com

 

Dell G2410H 24-inch

 

Don’t be ashamed, dude–Mac users have been using Dell displays for years. Take a proud stand for value. The G2410H lacks a Mini DisplayPort–Apple’s favorite connector of the moment. It doesn’t even have HDMI. But you do get VGA, DVI, and a great price for this 1920×1080 (1080p) screen. That might seem cheap, but its rich image quality outclasses some competitors with higher costs. And energy-conserving features, such as a light sensor that dims the brightness, can save even more.

Dell · $339 · dell.com

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External Hard Drives

 

With hard drives, size matters, and these three can hold all the junk in your trunk.

 

OWC Elite-AL Pro mini

 

Keep your red, typo-correcting pen holstered; that price and size were accurate as we went to press. At that cost, you’ll naturally get every major disk interface possible: FireWire 400/800, USB 2.0, and eSATA. And the paperback-sized enclosure and swank aluminum style look great, but what else is there? Speed and reliability. This solid-state drive blazes through any kind of data, plus it has no moving parts to damage. The combination makes this perfect for ferrying Final Cut Pro edits, photos, and other huge files.

Other World Computing · $849 for 200GB SSD · macsales.com

 

Data Robotics Drobo S

 

Any disk drive can add storage, but the Drobo S adds redundancy and flexibility. Normally with redundant disks–think RAID–you have to add pairs of like-sized drives at the same time. But with the Drobo S, you can install any size SATA drive at any time, mixing and matching to create a storage box that makes automatic duplicates and backups. (Some configurations already include storage.) Its FireWire 800, USB 2.0, and eSATA connections give you speedy access to huge files.

Data Robotics · $799 without storage · drobo.com

 

Western Digital My Book for Mac

 

Hard drives are cheap, but your data is priceless. The MyBook for Mac makes a great Time Machine backup disk, or you can just use it for additional storage. It’s a sleek, sturdy drive that connects via the USB 2.0 found on nearly any Mac. And an optional hardware-based security tool protects your data from theft. Just enter your password when you plug it in, and the drive will unlock its 256-bit encryption. It can even install the decryption utility first if you connect it to a new computer.

Western Digital · $139.99 for 1TB · wdc.com

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Network Hard Drives

 

Cut the cable: A network hard drive lets you access your files from any computer in the house.

 

HP MediaSmart Server EX495

 

The MediaSmart Server hits every major feature Mac users would want, including Time Machine support and iTunes streaming. This Gigabit Ethernet server has room for four total internal disks, plus you can connect four more through USB 2.0 or one via eSATA. You can even stream files online to an iPhone. But one aspect might draw boos: It runs Windows Home Server. While you’ll have to initially configure the system from a PC (or in Boot Camp), we think Windows Home Server can actually be a boon because you can keep adding additional features through software.

HP · $699.99 for 1.5TB · hp.com

 

Promise SmartStor Zero

 

Network storage can get needlessly complicated, but Promise aims to simplify your files. While you can optionally install a small utility, you’ll mostly just plug the SmartStor Zero into your network and go, configuring it through a web browser. It supports most major protocols–including Samba and AFP–so it works well on Macs and other systems. You can send it Time Machine backups, serve iTunes media, and stream files to living room devices. And you can remotely access it online to use your files and media wherever you are.

Promise · $399 for 2TB · promise.com

 

LaCie Network Space 2

 

In multi-Mac households, plugging the Network Space 2 into your network via Ethernet gives disk access to everyone. You can use it for typical network file storage, including allocating private areas to certain family members. Or let Time Machine connect to it for network backups. You can even plug in a USB 2.0 disk to directly back up this drive. But we like its media features the best. The drive serves iTunes music and can stream media files to network devices, such as an Xbox 360, PS3, or that newfangled Ethernet-enabled TV you just bought.

LaCie · $189.99 for 1TB · lacie.com