Docking Stations for Laptops
HP Docking Stations for Laptops: Desktop Functionality in a Handy Laptop
Have you ever wished your laptop was a desktop instead? Do you feel like you made a wrong investment in buying a laptop because you need the functionality of a desktop more? Do you love the handiness and high-tech features of a laptop but not the lack of connectivity to other important hardware? Don’t worry, docking stations for laptops have the answer to your problems.
A docking station is a device that is attached to a laptop to make it accessible to other computer and audiovisual appendages such as scanners, printers, keyboards, mice, digital visual interface, audio-video outlets, and several other devices and media that cannot be connected or read by a laptop.
Using these devices, you can access various media and storage devices that you normally can’t use on your laptop. These innovative machines provide the satisfaction and comfort of using a desktop and pair them with the handiness and cutting-edge technology of a laptop.
If you have an HP laptop, then you’re lucky because HP has released their docking products especially engineered to partner with their laptop products. The basic features of HP docking stations include multiple USB ports, DisplayPort connectors, DVI ports, VGA inlets, audio in and out connectors, PS2 inlets, serial and VGA ports, and network connectors.
HP has two devices that provide all these features: the HP docking station and the HP advanced docking station. The first one is the standard model for HP laptops. It comes in various wattages, models, and laptop compatibilities, but the basic features of all standard HP docking stations include three USB 2.0 ports, one powered USB 2.0 port, one DisplayPort connector, one Single-Link DVI port, one VGA port, a monitor stand port, two PS2 inlets, an audio in and out port, parallel and serial connectors, and a LAN port.
The advanced docking station is basically an improved version of the standard one. It contains all the features of the standard model plus two additional USB 2.0 ports, another DisplayPort connector and DVI port, an eSATA port for the latest in storage and data transfer technology, and an Upgrade Bay for additional drives and storage options.
You also have the option of getting the Ultra Slim Expansion Base, a docking station that is extremely slim, handy, and lightweight. You can even fit it in your laptop bag. The expansion base is compatible for most notebooks, laptops, and tablet PCs included in the 2700 series of HP. This device has four USB 2.0 ports, one VGA port, an Ethernet port, headphone and microphone inlet, a TV out, a travel battery for longer wireless power, and a DVD+/-RW drive.
If you have an HP laptop and you want to make it more functional, you better get an original HP dock. The prices of these products don’t vary much, so I would highly recommend getting the advanced docking station which can accommodate all your peripherals. But if you’re thinking more on the portability side, I would say the ultra slim expansion base is your best choice. Just make sure that your laptop is compatible with the docking station that you purchase, and you’re sure to have all the accessibility you need to optimize your computing experience.