This docking station turns your laptop into a real desktop computer

Laptops have changed a lot in the last decade. Once considered a mere desktop replacement, the laptop is now powerful enough to become the primary machine for many people.

On the other hand, laptops are often limited in terms of ports and connectors. But don’t worry, a huge accessory market has appeared to solve this problem: docking stations, hubs, adapters…

The easiest docking stations to use are the ones that slide under your laptop to act as a sort of stand (if you have a laptop that tends to get hot, this greatly improves air circulation).

I’ve been using the Sandberg USB-C All-in-1 Docking Station for the past few weeks, and this accessory has dramatically increased my productivity.

Sandberg USB-C All-in-1 Docking Station – Best prices:

Features

• Aluminum construction
• USB-C connection
• 1 x USB-C (up to 100 W power supported), 1 x HDMI, 1 x Mini DisplayPort, 1 x VGA female, 3 x USB 3.0 A, 1 x RJ45, 1 x audio out
• 1 x SD card readers supporting SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC
• Micro SD/TF card reader slot
• RJ45 connector supporting 10/100/1000 Mb/s speed.
• HDMI resolution up to 4K/2K @ 30Hz (1920 x 1080P @ 60Hz) maximum
• DisplayPort resolution up to 4K/2K @ 30Hz (1920 x 1080P @ 60Hz)
• VGA resolution up to 1920x1080P@60Hz.
• Supports simultaneous DisplayPort+HDMI and DisplayPort+VGA output.
• Automatic recognition of monitor type, resolution and features.
• Supports 192kHz/24bit audio sampling rate.
• 329 g
• 27.5 x 7.3 x 2.1 cm

Establishment

My biggest concern when using this docking station was that I use a massive 16-inch MacBook Pro and the docking station itself is a bit cramped. However, this was not a problem as the laptop sits quite stable in the docking station.

Photo: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

It also tilts the keyboard forward, making long typing sessions less stressful on the wrists. It also helps cool the laptop by providing better airflow (not an issue with the MacBook Pro M1).

As for ports, it has everything I could need, three USB-A ports, one HDMI, one VGA, one Ethernet and even a mini DisplayPort (there is an adapter if you want to use a normal-sized DisplayPort).

Photo: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

For creative work, there are even ports for SD and microSD cards to capture photos and videos for editing.

use it

I really like the Sandberg USB-C All-in-1 Docking Station because it lives up to its specifications. He does everything he says without complaining.

My biggest complaint with this dock is that I wish the USB-C connector was shorter so it wouldn’t stick out so much.

Photo: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

And that brings me to an important detail: there are many docking stations that look like the Sandberg docking station and are available for less. I have used some before and found the quality to be very poor. My testing found the 100W charging capability to be hit or miss, and support for external displays dated.

Sandberg’s docking station is expensive, but among the best in terms of quality and performance.

It’s solid and looks out of place even when paired with a high-end PC. Whether you want to connect to a wired network, connect two displays to your laptop, or connect a range of USB devices, it has all the ports you might need.

Source: “ZDNet.com”