Whether you’re away from the office for an hour, a day or a week, the last thing you want to do when you get back is fumble with a slew of cables in order to get your notebook connected. A docking station can make it a lot quicker and easier to reconnect to your wired network, human-size keyboard and mouse, easy-on-the eyes external monitor, printer and other peripherals.
In other words, it’s a notebook accessory that says, “Welcome home.”
While consumers haven’t been buying docking stations in great numbers, businesses have embraced them as a way to quickly make and break notebook connections in the office. Last year, companies outfitted 63% of laptops with docks, a proportion that has increased from 35% in 2006, according to figures from analysis firm The NPD Group Inc.
Not all docks are created equal, however. Docking stations made for a specific notebook let you snap the computer securely into place and immediately connect the video to an external monitor, link to peripherals, exchange a Wi-Fi network link for a faster wired connection and begin to charge the system’s battery in one step.
Universal docking stations, on the other hand, work equally well with a multitude of laptops. Instead of being built for a specific machine to snap into, they connect to your laptop via a single USB cable, making them easy to connect and disconnect.
But while most universal docks connect to your network, monitor and peripherals with ease, they don’t charge your notebook’s battery, which is their biggest drawback. A less important downside is that USB-based docks can’t display the entire boot-up procedure, making troubleshooting an errant machine difficult. However, you can always just watch the start-up on the notebook’s screen if there’s an issue.
I recommend getting a dedicated dock if there’s one made for your notebook — but it might not be that easy. Many notebooks don’t have a dedicated docking station for sale. For example, Dell Inc.’s business-oriented Latitude E4300 has a capable dock for $110, while the Inspiron 13, a similar machine aimed at home users, has no dedicated dock available.
If you can’t buy a dedicated dock, a universal dock is a great solution. And it does provide one advantage: It can be used with a new notebook if you switch systems.
Universal docks have two basic designs: Some stand up; others lie down. For instance, products from Kensington, Sakar and Targus are designed to fit underneath the notebook, and some provide a comfortable tilt to the keyboard. Others, like those from Toshiba and Vantec, sit upright alongside the notebook.
Regardless of their shape, they provide connectors for audio, networking and video, plus a bunch of USB ports for connecting everything from a keyboard and mouse to a memory key and DVD drive. Some even have specialty items like old-school RS-232 serial and PS/2 connection ports, speakers, and fans that can cope with an overheating notebook.
I put five universal docks through their paces by mimicking how businesspeople come and go. I set up each dock to my office infrastructure, including an external monitor and several peripherals, and gave each one a good workout, connecting, disengaging and reconnecting many times. (For details, see ” How I tested.”)
One thing is for certain: Every notebook deserves a welcoming dock to come home to. Which one you choose depends on how and where you work.
Kensington Notebook Expansion Dock with Video
Kensington Computer Products Group’s Notebook Expansion Dock with Video is the highest-priced docking station in this group, but it offers two things the others don’t: It supports Macintosh notebooks, and it can connect with DisplayLink USB displays.
At 1.2 in. by 9.8 in. by 2.6 in. and 0.6 lb., the Kensington dock is similar to the Targus dock in size and weight, and both thoughtfully include black rubber skids to avoid scratching your furniture or notebook. But the Kensington dock adds vent slots along the bottom to allow extra cooling air in.
For those who prefer not to use an external keyboard, the dock gives the notebook’s keyboard a 12-degree tilt for more comfortable typing; I found it stable with small and large notebooks.
The dock provides a fair assortment of ports:
10/100 Ethernet for wired networking
VGA for connecting an external monitor
Four USB 2.0 ports
Microphone and headphone jacks
It lacks an RS-232 serial port, PS/2 port, flash card reader or DVI display connector. All the connections are along the back, and the system has its own AC adapter. But unlike the others, it has no on/off switch.
Getting it to work took about five minutes. After installing the software on your laptop, you’ll need to restart the system.
Once it’s set up, the dock has a task tray icon for controlling the video. You can choose to have the external display either mirror or extend the desktop of the notebook. The dock supports up to 1,280-by-1,024-pixel resolution (or 1,440 by 900 for wide-screen notebooks), a popular resolution for 19-in. LCD monitors. But that comes up short compared with the Dynadock’s 1,920-by-1,200 resolution and might prove to be a problem with a larger display.
Unlike the others, the Kensington dock can work with DisplayLink USB monitors and projectors. DisplayLink technology uses virtual graphics software to send a full video signal through a USB cable. While this technology makes setup easy, there aren’t many of these devices available at the moment, and most of the first devices are tiny auxiliary screens.
There were no problems connecting with any of the peripherals I used, and the system was up and working in 45.9 seconds after being plugged in. That’s a little slower than the Targus or Vantec docks, but faster than the Toshiba Dynadock. It consumed 10 watts of power, the most of any of these devices, but it never felt hot.
While the Targus, Toshiba and Vantec docks limit their use to PC notebooks only, Kensington has software for Mac notebooks as well. The seven-month-old beta worked well with my MacBook Pro system, although the external monitor’s video lagged a little. The company says that a final version of the software will be available for a free download in the coming month.
At $180, the Kensington dock is three times the cost of the iConcepts dock, making it seem like a luxury. For MacBook users, it could become a necessity.
Sakar iConcepts Universal Docking Station
If all you want is minimalist connections, Sakar Inc.’s iConcepts dock is the way to go. At $60, it is the cheapest dock in our roundup, and while it doesn’t include networking or external video ports, it’s the only one that has speakers and a notebook cooling fan.
Easily the largest dock in this group, the iConcepts device measures 1 in. by 12.9 in. by 8.9 in. and weighs 1.4 lb. Its footprint makes it great for systems with 15.4-in. or smaller displays, but larger systems overhang the base too much and feel wobbly on it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t tilt the notebook to make typing easier.
At two minutes, this dock was the quickest of the bunch to set up. Unlike the others, the iConcepts dock requires an (included) audio cable in addition to the USB cable. Sakar doesn’t sell an AC adapter for the dock — to power it, you can use the USB cable (so it draws its power from your notebook) or a generic AC adapter.
The downside of its simplicity is that the iConcepts dock has the minimum of ports:
One USB 1.1 and two USB 2.0 ports
A pair of PS/2 ports
Jacks for audio in and out
A flash card reader that works with SD, MS, SM and CF modules
It does without ports for a wired LAN and external video, which means you’ll need to connect your Ethernet and monitor cables to your notebook separately, taking away the big advantage of a dock: one place to plug in.
It’s the only one of the docks I looked at that includes its own speakers, which pop out from the sides of the dock. They’re a step up from most notebook speakers, but hardly high fidelity, and the switch to turn on the audio is too small for my fingers.
The dock worked fine on my three notebooks, and the only USB peripheral it couldn’t handle was a Toshiba external DVD drive. In day-to-day use, the dock was convenient, but it took 20.8 seconds to connect with a PC notebook. That’s slow compared with the Vantec’s 18.7 seconds, which includes setting up networking and video connections.
While connected, the system drew 1.7 watts from the notebook with the fans working and 1.2 W with the fans off, making it the power miser of the group.
All told, the iConcepts dock is a bargain that seems designed for those looking for a notebook cooler that can make a few connections and deliver better sound.
Targus Universal Notebook Docking Station with Video
Housed in a long strip that can fit under any notebook, the Targus docking station provides useful connections while making typing a little easier by tilting the notebook about 10 degrees. At $150, it’s a little cheaper than the Kensington dock and does many of the same duties.
The dock from Targus Group International Inc. measures 1 in. by 10.6 in. by 3 in., weighs 14 oz. and has well-placed soft rubber skids so it won’t mar your notebook or desktop. All the connections are along the back, and the device’s AC adapter plugs are on the side. There’s an on/off switch, but it’s awkwardly placed in the back.
The Targus dock provides:
Four USB 2.0 ports (two of which are powered for charging a cell phone or camera)
10/100 Ethernet for wired networking
A VGA port for an external monitor
A microphone and external speaker jacks
An RS-232 serial port, which might look like an antique, but there are thousands of devices (such as mice, keyboards and a whole slew of data-acquisition products) that it can be used with
On the downside, the dock lacks the iConcepts dock’s flash card reader and the digital audio of the Dynadock.
Setup took all of three minutes, and unlike the Toshiba Dynadock and the Kensington dock, the notebook didn’t need to restart.
As is the case with the docks from Toshiba, Vantec and Kensington, the Targus device has a task tray icon to make video selections. It’s capable of extending the desktop or mirroring it on an external monitor, but it can go no higher than 1,600-by-1,200 resolution, well short of the Dynadock’s graphics capabilities, which might be a problem with a large monitor.
It worked with all nine of my USB devices and even connected with a serial port PDA that none of the others could touch. After being plugged in, the Targus dock was ready for work in 40.4 seconds, about midway between the Vantec and Toshiba docks. While connected, it uses 7 watts, putting it just behind the Toshiba Dynadock.
All told, the Targus dock makes it easy to reconnect when the road-weary traveler returns to the office, and it provides the ability to connect with old-school RS-232 devices.
Toshiba Dynadock U Universal USB Docking Station
Easily the most advanced dock of the bunch, Toshiba Corp. endows its Dyandock U Universal USB Connect Docking Station with more ports and abilities than the competition. It’s among the largest and most expensive in our roundup.
At 8.8 in. by 3.1 in. by 1.8 in., the Dynadock U is three times the size of Vantec’s dock. Its vertical orientation means that you can’t use it to tilt the notebook, but there’s a handy on/off switch on top. Its base is weighted to keep cables from pulling it around or tipping it over, bringing its weight to 1.1 lb.
The package includes all you’ll need to get started, and the software takes five minutes to load, not including the time it takes to restart the notebook. This dock is better equipped than many desktop PCs, with:
Six USB 2.0 ports
An Ethernet port
VGA and DVI ports for an external monitor
Analog and S/PDIF digital audio connections
On top of that, two of the system’s USB ports are easily reachable on the front of the dock and can be used to charge mobile devices even if the dock is turned off. On the other hand, the Dynadock lacks the flash-card readers that the iConcepts dock delivers and the RS-232 port that Targus dock has.
Video is where the Dynadock U shines. It maxes out at 1,920-by-1,200 resolution, 15% higher than any of the others and perfect for use with monitors ranging from 20 in. to 24 in. Like the Kensington, Targus and Vantec docks, the notebook’s display can be mirrored with an external monitor or extended up, down or on either side.
The price for this level of sophistication is slow start-up and high power use, with the Dynadock U taking 51.7 seconds to get in gear and using 9 watts when connected. It passed my array of compatibility tests and worked well over a two-week workout, although it was the only one of the five docks to get warm to the touch.
If access to a multitude of USB ports as well as audio and video are your prime considerations when docking, look no further than Toshiba’s Dynadock U.
Vantec Laptop Docking Station with Video Output
The smallest and least obtrusive of the bunch, Vantec Thermal Technologies’ docking station does a lot with a little by providing the basics for connecting a notebook.
Tiny and sleekly designed, the Vantec dock is the best looking of the five and is about one-third the size of the Toshiba Dynadock. It measures just 5.6 in. by 0.7 in. by 3.2 in., and at 7 oz. is the lightest of our roundup.
On the downside, this upright dock was easily moved around by its cables, despite having rubber feet. Clearly, it needs the weighted base of the Dynadock.
Setup took a quick two minutes. The dock provides:
Four USB 2.0 ports, two of which are located on the front of the dock for easy access
A 10/100 Ethernet port
A DVI video port for an external monitor, which comes with an adapter for use with older VGA-port monitors
Microphone and headphone jacks
In a design faux pas that drove me crazy, the USB plugs in the back are upside-down compared with the ones up front. It was the source of endless frustration for me when I was plugging stuff in.
As with the other video-enabled docks, the software creates a task tray icon for customizing the video with the choice of extending the desktop or mirroring the action on an external monitor. The downside is that, like the Targus dock, it is limited to a maximum 1,600-by-1,200 resolution.
Everything I threw at the Vantec dock worked, and it was up and running in 18.7 seconds, making it the speed demon of the bunch. It used 6 watts of power, putting it right in the middle of the pack, but it lacks any of the digital creature comforts that the others provided, like the iConcepts speakers and flash reader or the Toshiba’s digital audio.
How I tested
Some universal docking stations have video, networking and other office creature comforts, while others specialize in cooling fans and audio. To sift through all the possibilities, I tried out all five docks with three notebooks of differing size and vintage: a tiny, three-month-old Lenovo IdeaPad S10 netbook, a 15-in. Dell Vostro 1510 that’s about a year old, and an antediluvian 15-in. IBM ThinkPad R50 (about five years old). All performance testing was done with the Vostro 1510.
After unpacking each dock, I measured it, weighed it and counted the number and variety of ports it offers. I then connected it to each notebook and made sure that each port worked with nine typical USB devices:
Kingston 512MB memory key
Western Digital MyBook 500GB external hard drive
Toshiba PA 3450U-1DVZ external DVD drive
Logitech V-450 wireless mouse
Flip Mino camcorder
Brother 2170W wireless laser printer
Sony ICD-UX70 voice recorder
Memorex MX2710 keyboard
USB hub with three ports
To my surprise, nearly every device worked with each dock. The one exception was the Toshiba DVD drive, which wouldn’t work with the Sakar iConcepts dock.
I set up each dock that provides video support with a Dell E172FPb 17-in. LCD monitor, and I connected each dock that has an Ethernet connector to a 100Mbit/sec. network. I also tried several flash cards on the iConcepts docking station, the only one equipped with card readers.
Finally, I measured how much power each system uses with four USB devices and LAN cable connected. For those with AC adapters, I connected their power packs to a Kill A Watt power meter, and for those that were USB-powered, I used a USB cord with the power cables connected to a multimeter. To see how long each device takes to get to work, I disconnected the USB link and timed how long it took for the dock to restart its video and keyboard after being reconnected.
To see the complete specifications, features and performance results for the docks, see our comparison chart.
Conclusions
While it can’t compare with the convenience of a docking station designed for a specific notebook, a universal dock can make easy work of connecting and disconnecting a notebook on a desk. On the other hand, none of those I looked at measured up to all my mobile needs. Each lacked at least one key ingredient that I’d find hard to live without.
Maybe my standards are too high, but in a perfect world, I’d create my own dock from the best attributes of these five. I’d start with the flash-card reader of the iConcepts dock, adding in the Kensington’s Mac compatibility, the Toshiba’s high-resolution video and digital audio, and the Targus’s RS-232 port — because you never know what you’ll need to connect with. I’d package it all into something the size of the Vantec dock, but with a weighted base. Then I’d have a perfect dock to come home to.
In the meantime, though, my choice is the Toshiba Dynadock — with its high-resolution video, assortment of ports and digital audio, it comes closest to my ideal “welcome home” from the road.
