While this, naturally, reduces the portability of your laptop, it does offer the significant advantages provides by a desktop computer, including more comfort and increased visibility provided with a larger screen.Īnd with docking stations as easy to unplug from as they are to plug into, they provide a laptop owner with the best of both worlds. It works by allowing a user to connect their laptop to other hardware typical of a desktop PC, including a monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and external drives. Don't confuse it with a USB hub which is typically more limited in scope. Read the full review: VAVA 12-in-1 Dual 4K VA-DK004 docking station (opens in new tab)Ī docking station is a piece of hardware that allows a user to convert their portable laptop into a desktop computer by adding more ports to it.The inclusion of USB 2.0 ports (yes, 22-year old USB 2.0 ports) is also perplexing to say the least. Just bear in mind that it does have limitations: it can only provide 65W of power for compatible laptops (not a deal breaker), the connecting USB cable is a tad short in our view and is not replaceable - which makes the whole unit useless if it is damaged. I liked the fact that it comes with its own power supply unit as well as two card readers (great for those looking to owing a video editing laptop or looking to use a laptop for photo editing). Other than its affordability, its plethora of ports in a tiny footprint (it can be shoved under your laptop) makes it a game changer. It remains my docking station to this day, two years after I reviewed it. Vava's minuscule docking station is still a joy to use. Read the full review: StarTech Thunderbolt 4 Dock The only catch to this flexible approach is that additional cables or adapters are needed to connect displays over Thunderbolt technology, adding extra expense to what is already a very pricey option.Ī stylish and well-considered design, the StarTech Thunderbolt 4 dock is excessively priced, and other makers, like OWC, deliver much the same connectivity for a fraction of the price. The designer aimed to make it sufficient for the needs of every user, irrespective of if they need to connect displays, storage, or any other peripherals. With 96W of power available for the host system and 15W each for the three Thunderbolt downstream connections, and more for triple USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, this dock is hardly underprovisioned. StarTech already makes some handy equipment for those that use Thunderbolt and USB technology to its limits.īeing slightly late to the Thunderbolt 4 party, StarTech has created a dock that delivers maximum user flexibility and enough charging power to handle the most demanding laptops. Read the full review: IOGear Dock Pro Review The IOGear Dock Pro is an impressive beast that adds legacy ports and more displays than most people need, but for those who need to run multiple displays, this dock is well worth the consideration. This method would include using a different Thunderbolt hub before this dock and then plugging that other dock into the host device, subsequently adding two docks worth of ports to your host machine. We find this pretty impressive, and while it may not have many USB-C / Thunderbolt ports, it does have many other ports and can be daisy-chained to include more USB-C / Thunderbolt ports. With the use of DisplayLink, this dock can help any compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 device drive up to four displays and all the additional ports while charging the host device, all at the same time. The front alone holds access to the microSD card reader, standard SD card reader, USB-A for charging, two USB-A ports for data, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack. Part of the reason for wanting to keep the front within arm's length is because of all the incredible ports on the front. We chose that option, keeping the dock tucked away yet still within reach. This USB-C dock can stand upright, made more secure by an optional stand, or can lay on its side to fit under something on a desk, perhaps. What makes things more impressive is that those four display outs can be either DisplayPort or HDMI, as all four lines out have both ports as options. The Dock Pro from IOGear is an impressive little USB-C dock that expands a single connection to 12 additional ports, including up to four display outs.
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