Any 1330 Owners Use a Decking Station

I am VERY close to buying a 1330, however, I still have a few questions that I am looking to have answered. One of them is if anyone uses an aftermarket docking station. I understand that they worl w/a USB port.

I have used one for several years w/the Latitude, but not sure if the Latitude is the best answer for my personal/school use.

Any opinons or experience w/the docking station?

 

I think you are better off with a USB hub. Latitudes have real docking stations. USB/ExpressCard docks have limited options, usually have a lower allowance on external monitor resolution, and barely reduce cable clutter.

 

A USB hub meaning that all of the 'accessories' plug into the USB hub, which in turns plugs into the computer, right?

 

You are correct. I ended up using a USB hub with both my work and home m1330.

If you really need a docking station, then you're better off going with a Latitude.

 

I don't know if I really need it or how much I will actually use it. That is my main reason for considering the 1330 or the Sony SZ; I like the portability.

 

I don't know if I really need it or how much I will actually use it. That is my main reason for considering the 1330 or the Sony SZ; I like the portability.

 

You can get a small Latitude too!

http://www.dell.com/content/product...it_d430?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab

Even smaller than the m1330

 

This may or may not fit your needs, it's basically a stand with a built in USB hub. Or, if you just want a USB hub, this one is pretty good. It has 7 ports on it.

 

Thanks for the assistance. That may be a better way to go for me. I am buying this to be portable, therefore, I doubt that I will be using it very much at as a home computer.

 

I have a different perspective. I come from a "desktop only" background, so when I transitioned to laptops this year, my big thing was I hated using touchpads and wanted a full keyboard. I could get around the touchpad thing with a Bluetooth mouse, but the keyboard was a sticking point. I really need a numeric keypad. So I purchased a docking station from Dell. It's lightweight and has a full keypad and I don't know what people mean when they say it's "full of wires." It has no wires, practically. You slip the laptop into the holder and there's a short USB wire that connects the laptop to the station. The docking station then has a number of USB ports on it, so you won't miss the one that is connecting the laptop.

Now, I will say for full disclosure that since getting a laptop, I've become much more accustomed to using the abbreviated keyboard. So I haven't used the docking station much, but not because it sucks or anything. If you want, I can give you more details.