Kensington Notebook Expansion Dock with Video; USB Connection 33367 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pretty cool product plug in your notebook through usb, and get keyboard, mouse, ethernet, video, usb and sound. Bought this one, the targus one, and the addlogix one at the same time. Kensington drivers install without a reboot, addlogix works but needs a reboot, targus one performed terribly. Has better cable management and looks better than addlogix too. Video quality seems good, watched DVD's on it, no slowness although I imagine it wouldn't work for a video game.
CONS: No drivers available on Kensington website

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Single USB plug connects your notebook to USB peripherals Ethernet speakers and even monitor32-bit color supports notebook-quality video on external monitorsNotebook expansion dock works with flat panel monitors up to 19" at native resolutions of 1280 & 1024 pixelsIntelligent plug-n-play technology selects best available monitor settings automatically1 year warranty

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Targus USB 2.0 Docking Station with Video ACP51USZ Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm an I.T. Professional and will try to review this item from the perspective of an average computer user. I bought a new Dell Inspiron Laptop running Windows 7, Dell 21.5 inch monitor, Logitech wireless mouse & keyboard, and this Targus USB docking station.
My very first attempt to set up the device went like this: I followed the instructions by installing the software that was included with the device first, then rebooted, then attached my laptop to the Targus USB docking station. The result: Audio, network, and wireless devices worked. The display on my monitor worked except when I launched a video game called "World of Warcraft." Once I launched the video game, the display became blurry and the text illegible.
I spent about two hours troubleshooting this issue. I finally found out that the Targus website has, what it considers, the very latest software that controls the audio, networking, and USB components of the Targus docking station. However, the displaylink.com website has, what it considers, the very latest graphics software for the Targus device. So in short, I had to go to two different places to find the correct software for my Windows 7 computer.
Now here's where things started to really frustrate me about this device. Once I installed the latest graphics software for the Targus docking station and relaunched the game "World of Warcraft," the display worked perfectly but I lost my networking. So, I spent another hour trying to figure out what happened to the networking component of the docking station. Finally, I gave up and decided to start all over again by completely removing all the displaylink software and reinstalling it. This took me another 30 minutes or so. Once I reinstalled all the software (which included both pieces from the two different locations I mentioned earlier), the networking component of the docking station still did not work.
So I went back to the Targus website and found something called the "Corporate Only Windows 7 Ethernet Driver." Now, I'm not 100% sure what "Corporate Only" means but if I had to guess, usually a corporate listed software install has some additional corporate related security additions to the software but it should function normally otherwise. So I downloaded this driver and installed it. Rebooted. Now all the components of the Targus USB docking station work.
Summary: My job is to repair computer problems for a corporation I work for 5 days a week. The process I had to go through to get this Targus USB docking station to work was tedious, frustrating, and time consuming. I can't imagine how much time and effort it would take the average computer user to get this device to work properly (and as promised by the advertising for this device). After my experience with trying to get this device to function properly, I'm not surprised to see other reviewers here have varying problems with one or more of the components in this docking station. My suggestion is to look for another device and skip this one all together. In retrospect, I should have looked at the Kensington USB docking station with video.
I hope that this review helps others.

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The Targus USB 2.0 Docking Station with Video is a USB based docking station with video output capability.The "One Touch" interface enables users to quickly connect to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers or other peripherals often used at home or in the office.The docking station provides an ergonomic tilt for a comfortable typing angle and also keeps the laptop elevated, providing ventilation while in use.The device features two "always on" USB ports which allow users to power or charge peripherals such as a Blackberry, iPhone/iPodor camera even if the laptop is powered down or in sleep mode.The Targus Docking Station with Video allows users to make the most of their workspace with an easy connection and seamless connectivity for all of your accessories.

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Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI - sd300v Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have a MacBook Pro, you can connect a monitor to the notebook via an inexpensive adapter. This Kensington dock product allows you to connect a second monitor to the notebook so that you have a total of three screens including the notebook screen.
If you follow these instructions, then this device works fine with the latest (April 2010 refresh) MacBook Pro notebooks running 10.6.3.
1. Buy and set up the dock but DO NOT INSTALL THE SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH IT
2. Download the 64-bit driver (currently a beta) from DisplayLink and install it:
[...]
The 32-bit driver (which is not a beta) will work fine on Snow Leopard unless you need a portrait mode (screen rotation). The 64-bit driver fixes that. I'm running 1200x1920 (the max resolution) in portrait mode with no problems.
Previous to this, I was using ScreenRecycler, which is a lot slower. The video speed of this dock isn't "native", but it's acceptable for browsing and word processing, and it even runs YouTube fine in windowed mode (but NOT in full-screen mode -- you can see the lag).

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Universal USB Docking Station

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MIMO UM-720S Touch Screen USB Powered 7 Inch Swivel LCD Screen Mini Display Review

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(More customer reviews)I received the UM-720S promptly after ordering it, and I had no problem connecting it and starting to use it under Windows XP. It's very nice that only a single USB cable is required (as some USB-powered devices need to be plugged into two USB ports to get enough power). The display is crisp and bright, and the driver allows it to be rotated. The touchscreen functionality works reasonably well - it requires a firm press to register consistently, and the tracking is typical for these kind of screens (i.e. it's nowhere near the responsiveness of tracking on an iphone). It's very nice that you can use a stylus instead of your finger. The screen and stand are incredibly thin and compact when folded up. The USB connector comes straight out of the back of the screen, which may be awkward for some applications (like mine), but a right-angle USB connector can be obtained very cheaply. For the price, and for particular applications (such as building a custom controller), this is a very good product, and is currently quite unique. I'm getting close to ordering a second one, which should tell you how much I like it.
UPDATE: I just discovered that OpenGL operations do not work on a DisplayLink device (such as this monitor). So, if you're doing custom development of software to make use of this monitor, you should be sure to NOT use an OpenGL-based library. The DisplayLink drivers may support OpenGL, someday, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

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MIMO UM-720S Touch Screen USB Powered 7 Inch Swivel LCD Screen Mini Display

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Kensington K33920US Wireless USB Docking Station with Video Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Received this docking station from my company for my Dell M1530 laptop. Dell sells this on their site.
Me along with my IT person assumed it was going to work right out of the box. Then we found out the horrible truth.
1. Found out we need to have an external USB wireless adapter in order for this device to communicate with my computer. Like mentioned on these other posts, these things (adapters) are hard to find and costly. Furthermore, very few computers come equipped with an internal adapter, so you have to buy a third party external adapter in order to make this thing get off the ground. Why didn't Kensington provide this adapter with this device? Why don't they MAKE an adapter to work with their own device in the first place? Got me.
2. If you're going to hook up an external 20" monitor or bigger, forget it. It doesn't support anything over 19". I found this out from online blogs before I set out to buy an adapter. It's not mentioned on their packaging nor their website. If it is, I couldn't find it. Their customer service department did verify this fact, though.
I agree with the other post, this thing is in the Beta stage of production. Shouldn't be available for sale yet. Kensington is definitely hiding information from the public on what this thing needs in order to work and its limitations.

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Finally, wireless access to your external monitor and USB devices!Why deal with plugging and unplugging your USB peripherals each time you want to use them? Simply connect all of your USB devices and external monitor into the Kensington Wireless USB Docking Station and gain quick access to them from your Wireless USB enabled notebook. No need to waste time getting yourself connected¿print, access a hard drive and use your external monitor in seconds. Works with all Wireless USB notebooks. Works with widescreen monitors up to 1680x1050 and standard size mornitors up to 1600c1200. Includes 1 DVI port (DVI to VGA adapter included), 5 USB 2.0 ports, Stereo out port.

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StarTech 2 Port Dual DVI USB KVM Switch with Audio & USB 2.0 Hub (SV231DD2DUA) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this KVM as it supposedly was one of the few that would work with a wireless keyboard/mouse (one that uses a USB "receiver") and I could find only positive comments across the web.
Unfortunately, BUYER BEWARE!
The only positive comment I could say about this product is that it arrived quickly. Too bad, though, as I wasted additional money and time to try and get it to work properly.
My setup:
DELL desktop with add-on high-end dual DVI graphics card.
Very high-end notebook with a high end DVI + HDMI dual monitor graphics card. (This required one HDMI to DVI-I cable)
Wireless mouse/keyboard combination using a single USB receiver.
Here is a partial list of the problems with this unit.
GENERAL ISSUES / FEATURE DEFICIENCIES
1. Difficult to work with, as the back panel connectors are very close together. Since DVI cables tend to be thick, it is extremely difficult to plug everything in and/or move connectors once you get cables in the right place.
2. Manual states that it is for the 2 and 4 port version, however only describes buttons and setup that is accurate for the 4 port version.
3. Front panel LEDs have no markings and are unintuitive as to what they mean.
4. No way to have the Audio stay with a particular PC - it always follows the selected computer.
5. All special functions (like turning scanning on/off) require keyboard sequences, which is useless if you have to put your keyboard USB receiver into the general USB ports (instead of the keyboard port) - which must be done if you want your keyboard driver to be able to integrate with the keyboard (or mouse) driver.
BUGS
1. The most fundamental KVM requirement is that the KVM must make the PC think that monitors are always attached. However, when I pressed the front panel switch to move "focus" to my laptop, my desktop computer thought its monitors were disconnected. This caused the desktop to automatically reconfigure its video to use one monitor, moving all my opened apps to a single screen. When I used the KVM to switch back to my desktop, I had to reset my graphics controller to dual monitor mode and move the apps back to where I wanted them.
2. Using the regular USB keyboard port, occasionally pressing a key auto-repeats a dozen or so of the same character.
3. Using the regular USB mouse port, occasionally the mouse stops working and requires the USB receiver to be removed and reinserted - which only works some of the time.
The manufacturer claimed that part of the problem was that I needed to use DVI-I cables instead of DVI-D cables (although digital monitors usually do not even allow DVI-I cables to plug into their DVI connector) and should not need the additional analog pins available on DVI-I cables. I purchased 4 high quality DVI-I cables to use to connect the unit to my PCs and tried again. However, it made ZERO difference and every problem still existed.
The bottom line is that this unit DOES NOT WORK properly!


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The SV231DD2DUA 2-port Dual DVI USB KVM Switch allows two PCs, each with dual DVI video outputs, to share two monitors, one microphone and set of speakers, one keyboard and one mouse as well as two other USB peripherals. An ideal solution for graphic designers, CAD/CAM designers or educational and financial institutions, the dual view KVM Switch allows you to instantly switch back and forth between dual DVI display PCs at the touch of a button, while maintaining professional level video quality on both monitors. The dual DVI switch also features an integrated USB hub port that allows USB 2.0 peripherals such as thumb drives, external hard drives or web cams to be shared between attached systems - eliminating duplicate peripheral costs. Please Note: While both DVI-I (analog mode) and DVI-D (digital only) are supported by the KVM, both source PCs should output the same signal type for proper switching. It is recommended wherever possible to use DVI-D cables across all PC to KVM and KVM to Console connections. Please contact technical support if you require assistance identifying your source. Backed by a StarTech.com 3 year warranty and free lifetime technical support.

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Toshiba Dynadock U Universal USB Connect Docking Station Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Overall, I'm very satisfied with this product. Instead of having 6-7 cords I plug and unplug into my laptop every single time I take it with me, there's just one. That's incredibly convenient. Also, my laptop has just 3 USB ports, and the dock has 6, so I can keep all my devices plugged in all the time. And when I want to eject the dock, I don't have to take care of them one by one... there's a special icon for "undocking" which allows you to eject the whole dock.
There is one compatibility issue however. So right now on my laptop, I'm dual booting Windows Vista and Windows 7 RC. I use 7 RC almost all the time, because it simply is much better than Vista. The one problem I've had with 7 RC though, is that I cannot install the video driver for this dock. (You see, to get the dock to work with your audio, video and network, you have to install a driver for each of them.) I've tried several times to install both the driver that came on the disc, and the latest one from the site. And every single time, my computer would crash, and I would not be able to restart 7 RC because some files were corrupt or something. I had to do a system restore every time. Eventually I gave up, and resorted to plugging my VGA cord in my laptop like I did before purchasing the dock. Not that big a deal though. I mean it's understandable... Windows 7 hasn't even been released yet, and nobody's really had a chance to create drivers for it.
So that's the one problem that I've had with this dock and Windows 7. Not sure if this is the case with Vista, because like I said, I don't really use it. Let me note, however, that at one point after I installed the driver, I did have a few minutes with the monitor displaying, and everything worked great. I had a monitor, speakers, a mouse, a keyboard, an external hard drive, a TV tuner, a printer, and a network cable all plugged in, and everything worked fine... no lag at all.
I'd say if you're looking for a dock, this is probably the best one out there. Has everything an average user could possibly need, and works fantastically. Well, almost...EDIT: I have to mention, my monitor's resolution is 1920x1200 and the dock had no problem displaying this the one time I got it to work. And like I said, even though I had like 7 different things going on over one USB cord, there was absolutely no lag. I feel like I have to mention this because I saw a few reviews which complained about it. So if it's slow, it's mostly likely your system, and not the dock.UPDATE 3/16/2010: I have now been using this product for almost a year, and I am very happy with it. As I mentioned before, it allows for incredible freedom for laptop users. You can have all the hard drives and TV tuners and peripherals as you would with a desktop, and then something as easy as a single click, you could pick up your laptop and go.
I would like to mention that since I wrote this review, I have moved on to the final release of Windows 7 (Pro), and a new set of drivers have been released, and everything works great (including the video)! There are two minor problems I still see with the dock. First, although the video now works, it can be a little laggy when running full screen videos. It works fine when running YouTube sized videos and doing most other things, so it's not so bad. The second problem I see is that when you're undocking it, it can be a bit tricky because you may still have some applications hanging on to some of your peripherals, and you'll get a message telling you so, but it's hard to tell which ones. For example even after I close Media Center, it still has some background process running, which prevents me from unplugging my TV tuner. Anyways, the workaround for that is to just turn off your computer and unplug the dock.

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Toshiba Dynadock USB Docking Station PA3575U-1PRP Port Replicators

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