Powerbook Dock a possibility?
After using my father's IBM Thinkpad (I know it's a pc, but at least it's IBM right?) today with a port replicator/ dock I was wondering whether Apple would ever release something similar for the Powerbook.
I know there are third party options available but something like this would surely help Apple move further into the business arena (With X-Serves and G5's they have the majority covered, but after working in offices I know a fair number of staff use notebooks and docks).
As I'm starting University in the fall, I'm holding off on buying a new computer as I have little use for one right now. But when I do buy, I'm pretty sure that it'll be a Powerbook. If the case, I know I would by a dock. The ease of use that would come from having an external monitor, ipod dock, printer, camera connection etc etc already linked up when needed would be perfect.
What do you guys think? Is this a possibility? Surely for Apple to gain ground in the business world they need to compete with the wintel companies point for point, i.e offering similar hardware options. Have they ever tried this before? Please let me know your thoughts!
I know there are third party options available but something like this would surely help Apple move further into the business arena (With X-Serves and G5's they have the majority covered, but after working in offices I know a fair number of staff use notebooks and docks).
As I'm starting University in the fall, I'm holding off on buying a new computer as I have little use for one right now. But when I do buy, I'm pretty sure that it'll be a Powerbook. If the case, I know I would by a dock. The ease of use that would come from having an external monitor, ipod dock, printer, camera connection etc etc already linked up when needed would be perfect.
What do you guys think? Is this a possibility? Surely for Apple to gain ground in the business world they need to compete with the wintel companies point for point, i.e offering similar hardware options. Have they ever tried this before? Please let me know your thoughts!
Comments
IBM's dock accesses a connector built into the bottom of the ThinkPad. It just snaps onto the dock which provides a convenient angle for typing. No cables have to be plugged in.
As I was typing this my wife just came in and "un-docked" the ThinkPad to use it in another room. Being docked, it's fully charged. She has her own mouse, so she just plugs that in and is ready to go. When she's done, she'll bring it back and snap it in place. Next time it will be fully charged and once again ready to go.
Docks are great, I hope Apple develops one at least as slick as IBM's.
Originally posted by Aphelion
Docks are great, I hope Apple develops one at least as slick as IBM's.
They did and it was called the Duo. The Duo was docking done right. But it was large (duh, it enveloped the freaking laptop) and the laptops were pretty underpowered for the time. But I could just imagine what Apple could do now. But I have no choice to imagine since it's unlikely Apple will make a docking solution like the Duo again.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
there is a company that sells BookEndz which are port replicators. Done and done./
BLEEEEEEEHHHHHCH!!!
Nice to see that their solution is just as ugly and goofy-looking as I imagined it would be!
Looks like something Batman would make waffles on.
Originally posted by pscates
Looks like something Batman would make waffles on.
looks like something that's gonna turn Travolta's laptop into a nuclear bomb in his next crap film.....
why do these people always have to overdo things ?
it's: "what does it need?" not "oh what can we do? what can we do? what can we do?"
If you're not a careless retard you shouldn't have any problem plugging and unplugging peripherals every day, if you're talking about taking it to the office. Takes you what, 30 seconds max? 15 seconds if you are sober and not stupid.
Docks=crap.
My laptop LCD is a crisp and clear 1600x1200 (unlike the fuzzy Viewsonic 19 inch CRT on my desktop that is running at the same resolution).
My laptop keyboard is better than my desktop keyboard because it has a better key feel.
The only downside is that I need to plug in some cables when I come in to work, but that is really not all that bad. Compared to a clear screen and a keyboard that doesn't give me RSI, it is no big deal.
Originally posted by Outsider
They did and it was called the Duo. The Duo was docking done right.
The PowerBook Duo was indeed "docking done right." All PC laptop docks and the BookEndz docks require too much fiddling to connect. With the Duo Dock, all you needed to do was insert your PowerBook Duo into the Dock, which was as easy as inserting a VHS tape into a recorder. Now that was elegant.
Have a look at some PowerBook Duo Ads (at bottom of my .Mac page) to see how beautiful the Duo system really was.
A new, ligher and thinner 12-inch PowerBook with a new Duo-style Dock would rock my world!
Escher
Originally posted by Escher
The PowerBook Duo was indeed "docking done right." All PC laptop docks and the BookEndz docks require too much fiddling to connect. With the Duo Dock, all you needed to do was insert your PowerBook Duo into the Dock, which was as easy as inserting a VHS tape into a recorder. Now that was elegant.
Have a look at some PowerBook Duo Ads (at bottom of my .Mac page) to see how beautiful the Duo system really was.
A new, ligher and thinner 12-inch PowerBook with a new Duo-style Dock would rock my world!
Escher
A Duo setup was actually rather expensive (although arguably very cool). I think that it would be a mistake for Apple to go back to a Duo system where you pay for two monitors, two keyboards, and don't really receive any bonuses other than having a Voltron powerbook.
What is the compelling motivation for a user to go out and buy both a dock, keyboard, and monitor? The dock had better float on air.
The only problem is that I don't think it has the bandwidth to handle uncompressed video. So you would need to plug a display in separately. I don't think that is too much of a hassle though, with the click-in ADC connectors. I don't even have an extra display for my powerbook yet.
I don't think docks are going to pop up in a big way though, because wireless technologies replace the need for a dock for simple setups. If you had a bluetooth/airport setup with wireless keyboard/mouse, etc, then as soon as consumer electronics like cameras get bluetooth, you're good to go. PDAs and cell phones are already starting to use bluetooth.
A "dock" might be good to connect multiple external storage/IO/video cameras by firewire, but that requires nothing more than a firewire hub.
Originally posted by Nebagakid
there is a company that sells BookEndz which are port replicators.
Also note that this new BookEndz for the Powerbook 15" is an artist's rendition. Suffice it to say, they're waiting for enough orders before committing to actually tooling and mass producing it.
From the few comments here already, i doubt it'll see the light.
I have to say, though, that the 12" PowerBook on the BookEndz site isn't that bad. Just pokes out the left side, where all ports are, and matches the color.
That one doesn't offend me like the one above.
I, too, have never really gotten my head around the whole "dock" thing. Perhaps it's because I don't have everything in the world connected to my laptop (printers, scanners, iPod, keychain drive, Ethernet or modem cable, etc. Maybe if I did...
Nah, I still wouldn't. Like murbot says, it's a 10-15 second process to pull out a few cables. If these docks were $25 or so AND I had a lot of crap plugged in to my PowerBook AND I was taking the PowerBook back and forth on a daily basis, then I would MAYBE entertain the thought for 3 or 4 minutes.
Then realize "hey, for $25 I can buy quite a few songs from the iTMS...or an Outback dinner".
But $150 for something so...unnecessary? Nope.
That said, the Duo - both laptop and docking station - were (and indeed, remain) the apogee of elegant sub-notebook design.
Originally posted by Mark- Card Carrying FanaticRealist
Of course, the truly beautiful things about an IBM docking station - as opposed to the lightweight port replicator - are the half-length PCI slot, the Ultrabay slot for devices like optical devices and additional hard disk storage and the inbuilt power supply.
That said, the Duo - both laptop and docking station - were (and indeed, remain) the apogee of elegant sub-notebook design.
The Duo Dock had a nubus expansion slot... it wasn't the greatest selling point.
Overall, the whole docking idea was mainly driven by the possibility of having a real monitor while in "desktop" mode because the Duo had a cheap LCD (all LCD's were cheap then). Now that laptops have good LCD's, there is no need for a DUO type system. Also, your standard powerbook has so much more in the way of built in features (in terms of networking, multiple monitors, USB, firewire, built in CD burner, etc. that there is not much of a need for a docking station. Docks were cool in the day and Apple had the best solution (esp since the Duo did not include a floppy drive or a CD drive so that it was a true ultraportable), but as a solution, they have been bypassed by better technology.
Wireless and surface contact connections will soon remove any need for docking.
Originally posted by Matsu
Wireless and surface contact connections will soon remove any need for docking.
That's an interesting thought, Matsu. Today, we can leave our cellphones in our bags if we have a Bluetooth headseat or handsfree car system. Tomorrow, our PowerBooks might charge in their bags and connect wirelessly not just to keyboards, mice, and broadband, but also to LCD monitors and optical drives. In other words, we'll Dock without a Dock.
Sounds good to me. If my old electric razor can do it, why shouldn't my PowerBook? In the meantime, I'll still be counting on a Dock with physical connectors.
Escher