By
Christopher Kane
Docking stations and port replicators both add connections or ports your laptop may not have built in. They allow you to use peripherals such as full sized keyboards, mice, printers, monitors, scanners, etc without having to deal with the cable spaghetti common when connecting so many devices at once.
You just have to place the laptop into the dock and connect via a single connection (on the bottom or rear). To disconnect you just pop a latch or press a button to release and off you go while leaving everything in place for when you come back.
Cost vs Convenience
These days you may be wondering if you need a docking station or port replicator since many laptops today already have the same functionality built in. The exception may be for small laptops or sub-notebooks which do not have room for many ports or lack bays for optical drives.
With the wide range of hard drives, optical drives, keyboards, and mice available for USB or Firewire, the large docking stations which include expansion slots or bays are now hard to find (if even available) while more compact port replicators are commonly available. In most cases your laptop may already contain enough ports to accommodate all your needs. ex: 2-4 USB ports, networking, and external VGA or DVI port for monitor.
Do you already own a really nice monitor and prefer using a full size "normal" keyboard? Ever have the touch pad get in the way? Perhaps hitting it with your thumb or rest your palm on it and inadvertently start typing in the wrong spot of your spreadsheet or document. Maybe 4 USB ports isn't enough or you have an older parralel port printer.
In this case it may be an easy decision, when at your desk you can use the laptop as a desktop through a docking station or port replicator with your favorite monitor and peripherals attached.
If you're purchasing a new laptop (as your first computer) the included ports on the laptop will most likely be sufficient, if not you can always buy a USB hub which is less expensive.
When considering a docking station or port replicator there are a few types available:
- universal - which use USB ports
- manufacturer/model specific - available for HP, Compaq, Dell, IBM, Toshiba, etc
- and some that may connect through a PCMCIA card
They all do the same thing and differ mainly how they look or how many features they offer. Manufacturer specific may blend well when connected to a laptop it was designed for but may not be useful if you have more than one laptop from more than one manufacturer.
You may want to check out my other guide on Laptop Charger and Refurbished Laptops
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