- Product Dimensions: 29.2 x 17.8 x 8.3 cm ; 367 g
- Boxed-product Weight: 848 g
- Delivery Destinations: Visit the Delivery Destinations Help page to see where this item can be delivered.
Find out more about our Delivery Rates and Returns Policy - Item model number: ACP50US
- ASIN: B0007LXRB6
- Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 1 Oct 2007
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 265,603 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
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Product details |
Product Description
The Targus Universal Notebook Docking Station with Video is the first USB based docking station with true video output capabilities.
This "One Touch" interface allows users to quickly and easily connect to an external monitor, keyboard, Ethernet, mouse, printer, speakers or other devices in a manner of seconds. This product is also the first docking station to allow users to connect through a single USB connection. The Universal Docking Station provides greater flexibility to commercial users and consumers because it is not notebook platform dependent. It provides a low cost alternative to traditional OEM docking stations and port replicators.
When the notebook is placed on top of the docking station, its unique shape provides a more comfortable typing position and allows for better cooling of the notebook. Another factor unique to Targus' Docking Station is the "Always On" capability. A button on the back of the device allows two of the four USB ports to always have power, whether the notebook is powered down or in sleep mode. This allows USB devices plugged into the docking station to continually have power or to recharge. A great use for the "Always On" feature is to continuously charge devices such as mice, phones or PDAs. Targus' four USB ports are also adapter friendly, meaning they are spaced twice as far apart as typical to allow any size of adapter to be plugged into the port.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
50 reviews
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Pretty cool device, but not for laptop gamers
1 Jan 2006
I have a TC1100 tablet PC which has a fairly small screen. The docking station that came with my tablet wasn't the right one, but I didn't give it a second thought because I never used the computer in a docking station environment. However, I have decided that I would like to set up my tablet with an extra LCD monitor that I have lying around. The docking station from HP is quite pricy, so I started searching and found the Targus universal docking station.
I read the other reviews about this product and went straight to the website to download the newest drivers instead of the using the drivers on the packaged CD. I installed the drivers BEFORE plugging in the docking station (this is required). Once the drivers were installed and the computer rebooted, I tried it out and . . .
was pleasently suprised. I am actually typing this review using the external monitor hooked up to the docking station. When starting programs and other things on the external monitor, there is a framerate drop, but once things get started and settled, the lag goes away.
I started up several different programs and was happy with the results until I opened a game that requires DirectX. It wouldn't start, giving me an error that said my video card did not support this.
I suspect the problem that other people were having with this docking station stems from the bit rate associated with USB 1.0 vs. 2.0. A video setup on an older computer probably had a 33MHz bus speed running 16 bits or about 528 Mbps. USB 1.0 is a mere 10 Mbps and USB 2.0 is roughly 400 Mbps. I don't know what the Targus docking station uses as far as bus speeds and bus width, but I would suspect the people that were having terrible lag were using USB 1.0.
Overall: This is a pretty cool and inovative device in that it can add a monitor and multiple ports to ANY laptop. There are some stipulations though. One is that you won't be using the emulated monitor to play DirectX games (I suspect movies might have problems also). Office applications, web browsing, and any other non-graphics intensive applications will work just fine. Two is that you will definately want to have USB 2.0. Three is to download the drivers off the Targus website and skip the packaged CD.
In the end I will probably return this product and just get a port replicator without video. I will just plug in the the port replicator and the monitor, instead of just a port replicator. That way I can take advantage of my video card built into my laptop instead of emulating a lesser video card it.
I read the other reviews about this product and went straight to the website to download the newest drivers instead of the using the drivers on the packaged CD. I installed the drivers BEFORE plugging in the docking station (this is required). Once the drivers were installed and the computer rebooted, I tried it out and . . .
was pleasently suprised. I am actually typing this review using the external monitor hooked up to the docking station. When starting programs and other things on the external monitor, there is a framerate drop, but once things get started and settled, the lag goes away.
I started up several different programs and was happy with the results until I opened a game that requires DirectX. It wouldn't start, giving me an error that said my video card did not support this.
I suspect the problem that other people were having with this docking station stems from the bit rate associated with USB 1.0 vs. 2.0. A video setup on an older computer probably had a 33MHz bus speed running 16 bits or about 528 Mbps. USB 1.0 is a mere 10 Mbps and USB 2.0 is roughly 400 Mbps. I don't know what the Targus docking station uses as far as bus speeds and bus width, but I would suspect the people that were having terrible lag were using USB 1.0.
Overall: This is a pretty cool and inovative device in that it can add a monitor and multiple ports to ANY laptop. There are some stipulations though. One is that you won't be using the emulated monitor to play DirectX games (I suspect movies might have problems also). Office applications, web browsing, and any other non-graphics intensive applications will work just fine. Two is that you will definately want to have USB 2.0. Three is to download the drivers off the Targus website and skip the packaged CD.
In the end I will probably return this product and just get a port replicator without video. I will just plug in the the port replicator and the monitor, instead of just a port replicator. That way I can take advantage of my video card built into my laptop instead of emulating a lesser video card it.
41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Does anybody really like this Targus product?!?
3 Jan 2006
I'm a long-time Amazon and computer user...
I have spent months off-and-on trying to configure this Targus product with a new Dell laptop and LG monitor. It simply does not work as advertised as the video display and mouse tracking is just too slow to use. And Targus has not answered any of my many Web inquiries, emails or phone calls. They appear to have no tech support.
If others are as frustrated with Targus as me (and by reading the other reviews, it appears you are) then I recommend you voice your problems and don't buy Targus products. Then maybe Targus will reconsider how they advertise to and support their customers.
Don't buy this product!
I have spent months off-and-on trying to configure this Targus product with a new Dell laptop and LG monitor. It simply does not work as advertised as the video display and mouse tracking is just too slow to use. And Targus has not answered any of my many Web inquiries, emails or phone calls. They appear to have no tech support.
If others are as frustrated with Targus as me (and by reading the other reviews, it appears you are) then I recommend you voice your problems and don't buy Targus products. Then maybe Targus will reconsider how they advertise to and support their customers.
Don't buy this product!
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Don't buy for video
16 July 2005
If you are purchasing this unit to furnish a stable port for your notebook to connect to your LCD monitor - DON'T. Video and mouse very unstable. Make sure your video setting is mirrored so you can reset the video or turn off when it freezes up. Don't pay the extra bucks for this port replicator because it does not work as advertised. You can save yourself some money and a lot of frustration by buying a dock for all your non-video connections and avoiding this unit.
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