Joysticks, mice, etc on laptops

[Rondar]

 How do you guys hook up a joystick, mouse, or other stuff to a laptop.  Will I have to buy another joystick and give up my 10+year old M/S Sidewinder FF? I'm a complete noob laptopper.  But I have just about decided to get a Sager laptop.  What do you guys think of Sager?

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Through regular USB naturally. You can get a usb adapter to your sidewinder if you don't already use one.

[Rondar]

Another stupid question I think but here goes.  I think I want a 17" laptop because there is a separate numeric keypad on the side of them.  Some of the laptops that I have looked at on threads in here seem to mostly be 15/15.4 inch laptops with the keypad built in to the keyboard and then you gotta do a function thing or another.  Is that a problem with a smaller laptop? 

[MrRiplEy[H]]

It depends of the user if it's a problem or not. With a smaller form laptop you can set the keyboard to numpad mode but obviously you lose the 'standard' function for those keys during that time. If you have to go to 17" I would question myself if I really needed a laptop in the first place since a 17" is too bulky and heavy to carry around anyway.

If you don't NEED a laptop I strongly suggest buying a small form factor table pc instead. You get loads of more performance and upgrade options for the same money or less. Plus a decent 22" or whatever size you want screen.

[Hoarach]

I myself use USB.

My laptop I have to either set function lock or hold the function key if I want to use a number pad.  They do, however, make a number pad which you can buy and plug it in through a USB.  Think they are roughly $15.

[BaldEagl]

I've got a PS2 mouse and keyboard that I use on my laptop occasionally but only have one PS2 port.  I bought a 1-2 PS2 splitter cable.  It works fine.

[Max]

Another stupid question I think but here goes.  I think I want a 17" laptop because there is a separate numeric keypad on the side of them.  Some of the laptops that I have looked at on threads in here seem to mostly be 15/15.4 inch laptops with the keypad built in to the keyboard and then you gotta do a function thing or another.  Is that a problem with a smaller laptop? 

I was never a fan of laptop KB set-up and the touch screen drove me nuts. Get yourself a USB KB or wireless USB KB.

[BaldEagl]

I forgot to mention that I also have a PC card to provide a joystick port for my trusty old MS Sidewinder.