Laptop or desktop? Desktop or laptop? The choice is nowhere near as clear as it once was, now we have smartphones and tablets do do most portable work for us. Now, a fast-running, big-screen desktop machine is looking like a great alternative to powerful but still limited notebooks.
Or you could keep your little computer and grab this dock, the DeskBook Pro from Zemno. Style-wise it fits the MacBooks, but it’ll work with any computer (even a desktop).
Drop the MacBook on top and plug in its FireWire and USB ports. Now, you have expanded your connections to 6 x USB, 2 x FireWire 800 and 1 x FireWire 400. You also get separate line in and out jacks, an ethernet jack and a couple of surprises:
Most obvious are those hatches on the front, which let you slot in a battery and a spare 500GB hard drive (or two of either). The battery won’t supply extra juice for the notebook: instead it just allows socket-free use of the dock for a couple hours.
Weirdest (or handiest?) of all is the DVI-out port, which allows connection of a third monitor. It’s not hooked up to your MacBook’s video-out: rather it works like a USB monitor adapter, so is best used for less demanding tasks.
The price for this giant USB-hub is the biggest shock, though. Empty, it’ll cost you $600, or the same price as the old Mac Mini. Add in a hard drive ($180) and a battery pack ($150) and you’ve just reached $1030, which is enough for a MacBook, and only a few dollars shy of a proper desktop, the iMac.
It really is almost unbelievably expensive. You can buy one now.
DeskBook Pro [Zemno. Thanks, Gregg!]
See Also:
- Warpia Wireless Notebook Dock Cuts Cable Clutter
- Kensington Wireless USB Docking Station
- Henge: A Slide-in Docking-Station for Your MacBook
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/aMQQX2UzdxM/
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment