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Review
Created: June, 2000
EasiDock 1000E
Notebook computers are designed to be portable and to be used
on the go, but are also often used at home or in the office.
They have to be designed for portability but power and convenience
should also be considered. Unfortunately, these aspects are
sometimes an afterthought
.
The EasiDock 1000E is a compact peripheral that expands on a
weakness of most notebook computers: the availability of ports
and expandability. When you park your notebook in the office
and no longer have to worry about travel considerations, you
don't want to be inconvenienced by its limitations.
The EasiDock 1000E plugs into the notebook's PC card slot and
opens up a series of new options.
With a single cable, you now have access to four USB (universal
serial bus) ports, a serial port, a parallel port, ports for
a full-sized keyboard and mouse and an Ethernet network port.
This eliminates the need to use the notebook's smaller keyboard
or awkward pointing device. A printer can also be easily connected
and you can instantly plug into a network.
Once the EasiDock 1000E is connected, you can plug or unplug
peripherals without having to reboot. Similarly, all you need
to do is press the "request-to-undock" button to remove
the EasiDock 1000E and continue with what you're doing somewhere
else, without affecting stability or performance.
Essentially, you can use the EasiDock 1000E as a more compact,
and inexpensive docking station -- so that your notebook can
take the place of a desktop computer in the office. The question
is, do you need it?
If you have a ton of peripherals -- such as a scanner, digital
camera, or Web cam -- you'll need all the ports the EasiDock
1000E can offer. If a mouse, keyboard and printer are all you
use, you'll probably find that your laptop is sufficiently equipped
with enough appropriate ports.
Also, disappointingly, as with its previous incarnation the
EasiDock 200, the 1000E provides no support for plugging in
a regular monitor. It seems to offer every port but the monitor
port, even though its been a notebook staple for ages.
It also does not support the popular mouse-wheel or a parallel
port Zip drive. Be sure to check the box's side panel to make
sure you don't find your peripherals don't work once you plug
everything in.
But if you're looking into a docking station, the EasiDock 1000E
is an alternative worth considering. It will cost considerably
less, take up much less space and is compatible with almost
every notebook, past or present, on the market.
It does have problems with most Toshiba notebooks, although
a separate unit is in production to make up for the differences
in compatibility. Nonetheless, a docking station cannot offer
the same kind of compatibility or long term staying power.
The EasiDock 1000E is a boon for notebook owners with a bevy
of peripherals. You won't need to replace it if you get a new
notebook and it is considerably cheaper than a full docking
station.
Rating: 3.75 / 5
Comments: The EasiDock 1000E is an inexpensive alternative
to a docking station for those who use a laptop at home and
on the road. If you already have all the ports you need in your
notebook, however, you won't need it - and there are some compatibility
problems with Toshiba notebooks.
Platform: PC, Windows 98 (Windows NT and 2000 drivers
are forthcoming)
Interface: PC card slot.
More info: http://www.easidock.com
Where to buy: McGlen,
AccessMicro 
Price: $269.99 US, $409.95 Canadian
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