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All Aboard! The Dell D/Dock Expansion Station for Notebooks
Date of Review: Nov 6, 2005
The Bottom Line: As Latitude notebooks are recommended for business use, this docking station is nearly a necessity. Lots of available ports for all those messy wires!
We purchased the Dell D/Dock Expansion Docking Station as part of our Dell Latitude D610 PC Notebook for our small business. Our needs were to give true mobility to a traveling business executive that wanted to easily dock and undock her laptop computer for trips and presentations without the fundraising/marketing/communications/IT person (i.e., me) to be interrupted for network and printing capability.
We operate on a peer-to-peer network with a Toshiba E-Studio printer/copier accessed via a TCP/IP port. We also use a wireless optical mouse with this system for increased mobility. We have yet to make the leap into the 21st century and get a server for our networking needs.
We are not currently maximizing our experience of this product, because we've not yet purchased an external monitor or keyboard, though I've already been asked to make that happen. The laptop is being used open right on the dock, which provides a good angle for this type of use. I will say though that this doesn't look big enough to put 2 monitors on top. You'd put one on top and another off to the side of the docking station, so prepare for this accordingly if you want dual display.
This means that we use the Dell D/Dock Expansion Docking Station mostly for the following:
Ethernet cable for DSL internet and network access, and
2 Dell speakers which connect via one plug. The docking station is incredibly light but sturdy. At 6.6 lbs., it's just a little bit heavier than the Latitude D610 notebook we're using with it. It's all black in color and seems to be made of the same kind of lightweight metal that covers and encases most stationary PC's. For those consumers who will likely be docking and undocking often (like us), the paint appears very scratch resistant (again like the paint on the metal that encases most stationary PC's). The station is also very compact. We're using this on a desk that's about the size of one of those small, economy desks you can get for computers. The user has another larger desk, but the primary user likes to have her computer on a smaller one. The dimensions are 12.28" Deep X 6.3" Wide X 2.76" Tall.
Setup I had an incredibly easy time setting up the Dell D/Dock Expansion Docking Station. I didn't have to read the manual as the buttons are all very easy to read and intuitive to use. The port replicators are exactly like those you would find on a desktop workstation.
Each day, the user simply takes her laptop from the case and lines up the metal latch on the bottom of the laptop to the dock and snaps the laptop in. A side lock allows you to keep it steady for typing and other use. Windows XP automatically recognizes the Docking Station and all of the ports. When you want to undock, XP gives you an undocking option in the Shutdown/Restart prompt. After unlocking the side lock (which is as simple as the flip of a switch), you press the large circular button on the top of the docking station with an arrow to pop the laptop out of the dock.
We've been using this station for several weeks and have not had any issues with the user trying to dock or undock, print, gain internet access or access to the network. So far (fingers are crossed) this docking station has made my working life much easier!
For those of you who aren't familiar with docking stations, there is no formal "installation" or software process in order for compatible laptops with Windows XP to recognize anything on the station. You simply use the station as if it were the back of your desktop workstation and the laptop recognizes the docking station automatically as "Found New Hardware."
The only thing about setup that can frighten people is docking the PC Notebook for the first time. It seems as if it might be easy to damage the locking mechanism in the same way that many mouse connections can bend when plugged in the wrong way. The difference with this is that you're docking metal to metal and the two main posts on either end of the docking plug guide you in the right direction, so don't be shy. You won't destroy your $2,000 laptop by docking it!
Compatibility The Dell D/Dock Expansion Docking Station is compatible with the following laptop computers:
Dell Latitude D-Series Notebooks (D400, 410, 600, 610, 800, 810), Precision M60 and Inspiron 8500, 8600, 500m, 510m 600m. Please make sure you have a D-series Latitude before purchasing this docking station, because there is also a C-series of Latitudes with similar or identical model numbers.
Specifications and Product Information As per Dell:
With D/Dock, one simple docking connection provides access to 15 expansion ports. In addition to this, the D/Dock provides a half-length, full height standard PCI slot, an internal media bay supporting Latitude™ D-Family Media Modules and media module battery charging. You can also enjoy D/Dock's viewing expandability with flat panel and dual-display support.
Includes standard I/O ports — serial, parallel, video, two PS/2, four USB, VGA, DVI, S-Video and audio ports. Also features half-height standard PCI slot and an internal media bay with battery charging support and RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectivity. Dell also offers technical support for this docking station when used with a Dell notebook.
Overall Recommendation As a consumer who was new to docking stations, the Dell D/Dock Expansion Docking Station provided a great introduction. The name of it sounds scary, but really it's just a simple way to save time connecting and reconnecting your new mobile workstation to printers, etc. and to be able to use your PC Notebook like a desktop station with external monitor(s) and keyboard.
If this review was helpful to you, you may want to check out some of my other reviews. I've also written reviews on the following related topics:
Dell Latitude D610 PC Notebook LoJack Security Software for Laptops Adobe Creative Suite for PC's Lexmark Z25 Color Inkjet Printer Toshiba E-Studio 3511 Color Printer copyright2005 Meagan Downey
