Need Help With Acessories For My Mommy!!! Please!

THE GOAL OF ALL OF THIS IS SIMPLICITY!!!!

I am getting my mom a Dell M1530 for Christmas and want her to have a kind of "desktop" set up she can use.

I need a couple of things...

A DOCKING STATION!!!!! I don't know of any reliable ones.
I need a very easy connection to the laptop, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and monitor.

The docking station would eliminate the need of bluetooth which would be nice, but in case there are no good ones I put bluetooth in front of everything.

Bluetooth Mouse

Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard
Does anyone know of one that exists I just can't find one right now.

and a set of speakers 2.1 nothing fancy just very simple

 

Now, aren't you the sweetest son

Here is your bluetooth mouse:

Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Bluetooth-Notebook-Mouse-Windows/dp/B000TG4BA0

It's guaranteed she will really like it! Fast, reliable, durable..nice scroll wheel, great batt' life to boot!

Let me know when you purchased that for her!
(I talk like your gonna buy it)

 

I don't know much about universal docking stations but quickly looking at a few online this one seems to be very well received by its users. You won't need a monitor as this station raises the laptop to be used as a screen. You will need a keyboard.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-60148-Universal-Docking-Station/dp/B0002LEMZG

MS usually makes decent keyboards and mice. I have a Comfort Curve 2000 and love it. But for bluetooth this seems a nice combo.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=033

Printer... Hm, stay away from Epson these days. HPs are decent, mine has 6 vivera cartridges which are quite reasonably priced but may not produce as many printed pages as maybe Canon printers. For a home printer that gets average use I would just find some crazy deal on an HP or Canon. Don't spend too much, maybe $100 tops. I paid $70.

 

Why don't you get her a Latitude D830 instead (or even a D630 -- more portable, in the 14" format), and score a cheap PR01X off of eBay? D830/D630's are a dime a dozen (usually cheaper than m1530's even), and the docking station will run you about $20-$25 shipped.

That'd take care of your docking station problem, and the D830 is a nicer and more durable laptop, by far. The PR01X provides VGA, DVI, Serial, Parallel, Sound, USB, Ethernet, video, power, PS/2 mouse/keyboard and modem (fax). Basically, just drop a D630/D830 onto it, and away you go, no wires to hook up, very little could be more simple.

Yeah, you're buying her the wrong laptop, unfortunately. The XPS units do not come with a connector for a docking station. That Kensington unit looks like a cruel joke, and she'll always have to plug everything back in whenever she moves the laptop around, which totally defeats the point of a 'docking station'.

 

I definately go with the latitude, its a much more simple option.

 

Okay thanks to Cin and Thund3rball that mouse looks great as does that intresting docking station and keyboard.

As pitz and syndrome I already have the laptop it has everything I wanted for her and it looks like they don't even make the D830 anymore. Plus its not the size I wanted it dosen't have a decent video card, no blu-ray, no HDMI, you can't get an LED screen on it, and it is HEAVY! so no I am not getting her the wrong laptop thank you very much!

 

the Microsoft 5000 looks kinda small if your trying to make this a desktop replacement i would go with this

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wireless-Laser-Mouse-8000/dp/B000I4UQFC

Microsoft 8000 its full size and will feel much more like a desktop. i have it for my laptop and really like it not sure if the price difference is a big deal tho.

 

It's not Bluetooth, but the Kensington Ci85m Quickstart wireless mouse is probably the best mouse I've used. It has a magnetic cover and a backup cord in case the batteries run out.

 

Hey J...be sure to let us know what accessories you have gone with, for your Mum's 1530!

I use the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000, on my 1530 exclusively ~ and I came from using a desktop for a long time!

It's a nice, small..reliable mouse! I know a few guys with *large* hands per se that use it..and like it very much!

Right now, it's $29.99 at amazon.com...good deal!

Cin

 

Do you really need a dock? When I moved from desktop to laptop I had several USB accessories and only wanted to plug in one cable. I bought a 7 port powered USB hub and I have 2 printers, 3 external drives, a mouse, and a keyboard plugged into it. I only have to connect 1 USB cable. All for the low, low price of about $20. Just plop down the laptop, plug in the speakers and one USB cable and you are on your way. Just another option!

 

Not a bad idea ^^

repped