4 benefits of laptop docking stations

As laptops become lighter and more portable, the number and variety of connected devices decreases. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple solution - docking stations, which we have prepared a brief overview of for you.

For a quicker orientation, you can skip straight to:

What are docking stations?
4 benefits of docking stations
How to choose a docking station

What are docking stations?

A docking station, or colloquially "docking station", is a device that when connected to a laptop, allows you to connect a larger number of devices or provides ports for devices that are not on the given laptop at all. Docks come in several forms, but in most cases we come across two basic ones:

Box-shaped device, about the size of an external hard drive to a smaller router that is placed next to the laptop and connected with a cable. This includes, for example, USB hubs that turn one USB into three, five or more, or offer some specific output to an additional monitor.

However, we can also find docks of this type on the market, which are relatively small and unobtrusive, but still have a complete set of inputs and outputs necessary for connecting all commonly needed peripherals, including several monitors, LAN for internet connection, and several USB ports.

The second common type is docking stations, in which the laptop is placed (docked, which is where the name docking station comes from) via a special docking port. This port is located on the bottom of most laptops, sometimes on the side, and serves exclusively for this purpose, which is why many people often don't even know about it.

In the case of these docking stations, you Among other things, the laptop draws energy directly from the dock , to which the power supply is also connected.

Advantages of docking stations

At the beginning of this section, we will perhaps mention the only possible disadvantage of docks , which in some cases can be taking up space at the workplace . However, since it is usually only slightly larger than the laptop that is placed in the dock, we believe that this disadvantage is completely negligible compared to everything that the dock offers:

1. Number of ports

For example, if you want to have an additional hard drive, printer, microphone, or camera connected simultaneously in addition to an external keyboard and mouse, you probably won't be able to fit it into the number of USB ports on your laptop.

2. Port diversity

In case your laptop does not have some older types of monitor connections like VGA or DVI or vice versa - if you have an older laptop that you need to connect a monitor to via an HDMI input, which is not available on the laptop, the dock can solve just such a problem.

3. Comfort

Are you one of those who commute to work and back home with your laptop every day? You can have a docking station ready at your workplace at home with all the necessary already plugged in and when you get home, just put your laptop in it. No more constantly unplugging and plugging in an infinite number of cables.

4. Productivity

With a docking station, you can easily afford also include multiple external monitors , which gives you a lot more screen space to work with, and since most docking stations run on their own power supply, you don't have to worry about whether your laptop can handle it in this regard.

How to choose a docking station?

First of all, you need to think about whether is a docking station something you absolutely need because it will just collect dust on your desk ? However, if you often encounter the problems described above in the article, and you simply want to give yourself more options or more convenience by purchasing a docking station, answer the following questions that will certainly help you choose the right one:

Does the dock have the right number of inputs and outputs?

Are you okay? Check all the ports that the dock offers . Does it have enough USB ports? The right port for your monitor(s)? Do you need any special inputs and outputs for your audio?

Does it have enough power to power your laptop?

Some high-end laptops aimed at gaming or rendering often have powerful processors and graphics cards that have relatively high power consumption. Therefore, you need to check the wattage of the laptop compared to what the dock can offer with its electrical power supply.

Does your laptop support Thunderbolt?

Many modern docks have Power is provided via Thunderbolt , and if your laptop does not support it, you need to find a dock with a different power supply.

Will the dock handle the monitors you plan to connect?

If you plan to connect classic FullHD monitors, you will almost certainly not encounter this problem, however in the case of 4K monitors or those that support more than 60fps, you need to take a good look, whether the given cinema can handle these demands .

Is the given dock ergonomically suitable for you?

Last but not least, you need to think about the location where your future dokina will be located , and how other facilities will be distributed around it. Will all the cables reach? Are the correct ports on the correct side for what you plan to plug into them?

Summarized and underlined

Docks are undoubtedly a practical tool for increasing productivity or at least the convenience of using laptops, and thanks to their relatively low prices, it's not a terrible investment.

If you have found yourself in some of the situations and problems described in the article, don't hesitate to look for a suitable docking station. In the docking station range at itzoo.sk, you will find several interesting options that might catch your eye.

Useful links:

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