The results:

Q: Which of the following computer 'add-ons' (leaving printers aside) do you find most useful?

• Scanner - 1,024 (40%)
• Digital still camera - 260 (10%)
• Digital video camera - 72 (3%)
• Webcam - 35 (1%)
• CD burner - 613 (24%)
• Surround sound - 33 (1%)
• Drawing tablet - 17 (1%)
• Removable disc drives - 91 (4%)
• DVD drive - 78 (3%)
• Joystick/steering wheel - 77 (3%)
• Microphone - 65 (3%)
• Personal Digital Assistant - 104 (4%)
• Other - 115 (4%)

Your comments:

"This was a tough call. It's nearly impossible to backup your hard drive's important files without a CD-Writer or some other high-capacity storage medium. CD-R's top the list of course, due to their universal ease of exchange between machines and even platforms.

Since you'e eliminated printers from your list, I would have to say that a scanner would be the next essential item. One, you can't easily turn your computer into a fax machine without one, and two, it would be very difficult to send family pictures or conduct an on-line auction without one.

A digital camera would make the imaging tasks *much* easier, but I relegate it to 3rd place because 1) you can always scan photos taken with a film camera, and 2) it doesn't do faxes well. If being able to send faxes, archive personal documents, use your computer as a copier machine, etc. are unimportant then I guess a digital camera would then be more important than a scanner." Tom, Torrington

Previous survey results are available.