Hardware (5183)

Chic new notebook dock from Belkin connects via ExpressCard port

Vertical dock gives you easier freedom of movement

10 October 2006 15:53 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Belkin has come up with a new form-factor for the laptop dock which frees it from the confines of the laptop’s rear.

The new Notebook Expansion Dock is a nice-looking piece of kit that connects to your notebook’s ExpressCard port, so that you can run high-quality video without affecting bandwidth to other USB2.0 ports. The ExpressCard connection runs at 2.0Gbps for great graphics quality at up to 1600 x 1200 resolution in 32-bit colour.

Its vertical design means that minimises heat buildup from the Dock and ensures that it doesn’t get hot from the notebook’s heat output as well.

Sadly, it’s not a Mac-compatible device. It features 5.1 surround-sound support through optical or 3.5mm outputs, 5 USB2.0 ports, and an Ethernet jack.

“Previously, there weren’t high-performing docking stations available for consumer laptops”, said Jamie Elgie, Product Manager for Belkin. “But with our Notebook Expansion Dock, you have a universal option that gives you performance similar to the ones offered only to the enterprise market.”