Powerbook Dock
do you think that Apple is ever gonna create a docking solution for the Powerbook and/or iBook? HP** has one that features one cable connection, and if you get the fancy one, you can add a 160GB* drive into the dock. What do you guys think of this?
*1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
**HP is stupid (except for printers, otherwise they are stupid)
*1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
**HP is stupid (except for printers, otherwise they are stupid)
Comments
Originally posted by trtam
do you think that Apple is ever gonna create a docking solution for the Powerbook and/or iBook? HP** has one that features one cable connection, and if you get the fancy one, you can add a 160GB* drive into the dock. What do you guys think of this?
*1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
**HP is stupid (except for printers, otherwise they are stupid)
It'd be nice, but I doubt it's ever going to happen. Apple hasn't jumped on that bandwagon yet and I don't think they're ever going to.
Originally posted by BenRoethig
It'd be nice, but I doubt it's ever going to happen. Apple hasn't jumped on that bandwagon yet and I don't think they're ever going to.
Not quite true. Apple not only jumped onto that bandwagon, it probably created it to begin with. The problem with the bandwagon is that too few people listened to its music. People buy laptops for portability. In the post-Airport world where Wi-Fi hotspots are everywhere, a dock is really so much excess baggage.
Originally posted by Outsider
But as desktop replacements, they're starting to make sense again.
The usual reason for a dock - as with Apple's DuoDock, was to provide ports that were not available on the laptop. For very small, light machines, this makes some sense.
Of course, Apple has pretty much precluded the need for it as demonstrated by the iBook - small, light and lots of ports.
If you needed an additional hard-drive on a Mac, then just us firewire.
Originally posted by kiwi-in-dc
The usual reason for a dock - as with Apple's DuoDock, was to provide ports that were not available on the laptop. For very small, light machines, this makes some sense.
Of course, Apple has pretty much precluded the need for it as demonstrated by the iBook - small, light and lots of ports.
If you needed an additional hard-drive on a Mac, then just us firewire.
In a perfect world the dock could carry a second processor with another bunch of RAM and a nice HD. The technology probably isn't there but with some innovation it could happen...maybe...I think....
Originally posted by Myst
In a perfect world the dock could carry a second processor with another bunch of RAM and a nice HD. The technology probably isn't there but with some innovation it could happen...maybe...I think....
I like your idea. Why couldn't this be a perfect world...?
Originally posted by mmmpie
Different people have different reasons for wanting a dock. I dont want a dock to get extra ports, but to relieve the effort of plugging in 8 cables to my iBook. Not only is ia a PITA, but ports have a limited life, and plugging in multiple times every day pretty much limits you to two years before the ports fail.
Good point except that the ports on an iBook are a whole lot more designed for multiple insertions that the multi-pin connectors on a dock - I've had several in the past, and they last about the same time - 2 years.
Originally posted by mmmpie
Different people have different reasons for wanting a dock. I dont want a dock to get extra ports, but to relieve the effort of plugging in 8 cables to my iBook. Not only is ia a PITA, but ports have a limited life, and plugging in multiple times every day pretty much limits you to two years before the ports fail.
Ditto!
If you don't remember the Duo Dock, have a look at this PowerBook Duo ad and a second PowerBook Duo ad. Remember they're from the early 1990s!
I would kill for a port replicator for my 12-inch PowerBook that worked as smoothly as a Duo Dock! Unfortunately I fear that the Apple Dock is like the Newton -- something that Apple invented but wasn't smart enough to keep developing. As soon as I have the budget and inclination, I am planning to give it a shot myself.
Escher
Originally posted by kiwi-in-dc
Good point except that the ports on an iBook are a whole lot more designed for multiple insertions that the multi-pin connectors on a dock - I've had several in the past, and they last about the same time - 2 years.
As far as I can tell pretty much all ports are rated for between 500 and 1000 pluggings. The thing is, if you wear out your dock you can keep using your laptop's ports. But, even better, because a dock doesnt need to maintain a friction based connection the dock's ports could be designed to be low friction, and extend the life of the socket it is connecting to.
I was just thinking about this, this very morning.
If I could get a dock I would buy a PowerBook. I had an IBM thinkpad t30 with a dock. It was perfect setup. I had my 19" viewsonic, usb keyboard, usb mouse, power, ethernet... all plugged into the dock. I would come home from school, throw the thinkpad on the dock and suddenly I have a full blown desktop setup. It was awesome. I wouldn't have it any other way.
If those bookendz would do it then I'm sold. But I do think apple could do a great job and make a little extra money this way.