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View Full Version : New laptop, with a good docker



Mitchell Andrus
11-18-2008, 1:18 PM
Looking for a few suggestions. I'm needing to take my brains out of the office once in a while (or just over to the laser cutter), but I'll need to be able to plug in/out without risking screwing up a half dozen connections each time - so, I'm thinking a docker is the way to go.

Some are only USB hubs, some have a 2nd screen out (that'd be cool), some don't supply power to run the beast or charge the battery and need a sep. power cord......

My brain is spinning.

Anyone really happy with your laptop/docker? How many wires in add'n to the docker do you have to plug in?

David G Baker
11-18-2008, 4:22 PM
Never found the need for a docking station and at the time I was using a laptop the docking stations cost a pretty penny. I used my laptop when I traveled and had a desktop setup at home. The prices of computers and accessories have lowered considerably so if I was still using a laptop I would do a cost comparison and maybe use the docking station rather than a desktop.

Pat Germain
11-18-2008, 4:49 PM
I have a Dell company laptop with a docking station. It's very nice. This docking station has its own power supply. There's also a smaller power supply for just the laptop.

It is indeed very handy to just pop in the laptop and boot up with a nice keyboard, mouse, monitor and network connection. In this mode, it's just like having a desktop system. When I leave, I just shut the computer down and take it with me.

This isn't the cheapest of setups, but if you want a docking station, I would recommend going with a full up example or not bothering at all.

Matt Meiser
11-18-2008, 4:54 PM
In the past I've had docking stations at work. Now with everything USB, I don't really see the need. I have all my peripherals plugged into a USB hub. When I'm in the office, I plug in 1 USB, power suppy, network cable, and video cable. I guess that's 4. But it probably takes 10s longer than it used to take to put my laptops into their docks. If you aren't using an external monitor, that's only three, and if you are using wireless, that's two. The docking stations are pretty expensive too and I had problems with two different ones that developed flaky connections over time. Luckily where I worked at the time would rotate my laptop back into the pool and give me the latest and greatest pretty much whenever I asked.

What would be nice is a second power supply so I can leave one in my backpack and one on my desk.

Pat Germain
11-18-2008, 5:00 PM
What would be nice is a second power supply so I can leave one in my backpack and one on my desk.

I think that's a primary advantage of a docking station. Much of the cost is the power supply.

Jim Becker
11-18-2008, 5:11 PM
I have been using docking stations for quite a few years now; first with two ThinkPads and continuing with the Dell Latutude D630 I use now. All of these are work machines. It's not just about the power supply...I make good use of the digital video output as well as the numerious USB ports and network connection when docked. They would be a bear to manage manually. Docking stations...or at least port replicators...are very nice to have when you move from stationary to mobile with any frequency.