Targus readies ExpressCard notebook dock with video
updated 12:40 pm EST, Tue January 16, 2007
Targus EC Notebook Dock
Targus has just announced its ExpressCard Notebook Docking Station for portable owners who treat their portables as full-fledged desktops. Courtesy of the faster connection inherent to the newer card format, the dock has 5Gbps of bandwidth for all of its attached peripherals -- five times that of the average USB 2.0 dock, Targus adds. The extra speed allows the dock to be used for more than just mice and other low-demand add-ons: an external DVI or VGA display at 1600x1200, microphones or 2.1-channel speakers, and gigabit Ethernet can pass through the dock without bogging down the response of any one device, according to the company. Legacy support is also provided through a single serial connector.
Further extending its usefulness is separate power, Targus says. As the dock is powered by its own AC adapter, wireless mice and other USB 2 devices that require charging can remain attached regardless of whether or not the notebook is connected. The Notebook Docking Station works with either ExpressCard/34 and /54 slots on newer mobile PCs and ships soon for $180.
