Customer Reviews

Dell PR01X D/Port Advanced Port Replicator for Dell Latitude D-Family Laptops / Precision Mobile WorkStation

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Docking stations prevent user from plugging in various peripheral devices which are less necessary while mobile. They smooth the transition between mobile and desktop computing. I have the following devices plugged into mine which has worked flawlessly for 2 years:
- mouse
- keyboard
- ethernet cable
- power cable

Tilts laptop for more ergonomic typing position. Worth it even for just a power cord and mouse because it is so easy to connect - just press the laptop into it. Only drawback is Dell did not make a single docking station compatible with all their laptops, so your next laptop will likely need a different station.

Hi,

I am French and my English is no so good. Sorry for that.

My review could be not so objective as I am used to handle Lenovo (IBM) laptops and dock stations that are far better than similar Dell products in my opinion.

Well, I do use this port replicator with a dedicated power supply model PA-10 that is most powerful than the PA-12 one you usually use with the laptod (90W instead of 65W on European market). Doing so, I was sure that a the dock would be well powered and that I would not face a power issue in the dock especially for the USB ports that could offer up to 500mA for each one (according to USB norm). Today I remain unable to explain the USB connection issues I describe below.

The only USB peripherals that I can connect to the replicator USB ports are a mouse or a USB key. I did not check for a keyboard but it failed for an external hard drive or DVD-ROM drive. Even while using two USB ports for providing more power. On a Lenovo 2503 Advanced Mini-Dock, you just need to use a single port and you can burn a DVD!

In addition all ports are located at the back of the replicator and it is not so easy to plug or unplug as if they were located on both sides (like my Lenovo dock station). But all ports I tested were working fine: LAN, RCA audio and VGA.

At last, the same to access the power and undocking buttons: if you use your laptop with lid completely open, you will not have have to these buttons. As I move my laptop several times a day, I find it a little bit boring. And my lid does not like to be open and close so often!

As for the price, I did not pay so much in June 2010 for getting this product. So despite these cons, it remains an interesting and nice purchase for docking any Dell compatible laptop. I have wondered if the USB very low power supply do concern only some port replicators or if mine was defective. But I did not try to figure this out by checking with a new replicator.

I would appreciate comments from people having or not noticed the same annoying behavior of the dock for USB powering.

Best regards from France

Does what I need - bypasses a bad electrical connection in the PC. Good value for the money. And it is nice not to have to pull out all the connections when I move the computer.

Update - about 3 weeks after I got the Dell Pro 1 it no longer works. I get a message on the screen that says that the device does not recognize the power adapter. I bought the power adapter separately from another vendor. I don't know if the power adapter stopped functioning or if the Dell Pro 1 stopped functioning or if both died; both are now just taking up space in my desk drawer.

I bought one of these in 2005 when I bought my Dell Inspiron 600m. I bought it with a monitor stand--the APR and the stand fit together quite well. The combination struck me then--and still does--as the best way to use my laptop as a desktop--with a Dell monitor that is much larger than the laptop screen. And with no "tower" stuck under my desk where my feet belong! The device seemed to have a lot of USB ports back then (3 in back and a 4th on the side plus; there is yet another that LOOKS like a USB but it has something to do with a Dell D/bay which is a mystery to me). But with all the peripherals I added over the years I eventually had to add a small powered USB hub. One advantage of having a monitor sitting over top of the laptop is that the monitor also has 2 USB ports on the side. These are extremely convenient for quickly plugging stuff in for usually just a few minutes, e.g., syncing my Blackberry or moving pictures from my digital camera, looking at a thumb drive, etc.

I was slightly disappointed that I could not simply undock by pressing the undock button and removing the laptop. This created problems. I eventually figured out that it was due to the way my laser printer communicated with the laptop. So to undock I have to shut the laptop down. (Maybe I should have tried shutting the printer down first--duh) Not a deal breaker, of course. You do have to be sure to use a powerful enough "brick" with it, which for me is 90W. The one that came with the laptop is only 65W. I tried using it with all the peripherals plugged in I started getting error messages.

My only complaint is that I am looking for a new laptop and will almost certainly haveto get a new APR, too!

The PR01X docking station is a perfect addition to any Dell Latitude D series laptop or notebook. Making a laptop into a desktop just by setting the laptop into the docking station while running as well. Very simple to use, independent of the operating system as well. Replicates all the ports available on the laptop, and in some cases makes ports available that the laptop does not have.

for ther person who likes a monitor, keyboard, mouse, hard wired networking, etc to be easily plugged and unplugged from their laptop.... 2 clicks and the computer is ready to go... 1 click and your snapped back on the dock! Well worth the money!

I had a problem charging my laptop. I am told this is a design flaw that Dell knows about but corrected in the next model. I got this docking station hoping to be able to use my laptop again and this thing does charge the battery despite what some warned me about. I can also just plug all the things that are plugged into my desktop into the docking station and use all the peripherals that make my desktop functional. All I need to do is lock/unlock the laptop and go. Hook it back up in one step and use the printer or whatever. It is so much easier this way than the way I used to charge it. I am glad I decided to take a chance and get it. It works.

I am very pleased with the product. The price scared me because I thought it was too low. However, I couldn't be more pleased. The only "fly in the ointment" was that my laptop power cord wasn't large enough to run the Dell Pro Port Replicator. So, I had to get a more powerful power supply. It wasn't expensive, but I had to wait. So, I wish they would have had a notation for the customer to check their power supply and if too low make a recommendatuin to order the more powerful power supply.

At our office we have a few users who use Dell Latitude D630 14.1-Inch Notebook. Unfortunately, laptops are an ergonomics nightmare and aren't really the most comfortable computing solution. That's where these Dell docking stations come into the picture. Instead of craning your neck all day over a laptop with a small keyboard and trackpad, you can just plop your laptop on the dock and use a monitor, keyboard, and mouse just like a real desktop.

These docks are incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is connect it to power and the peripherals you want to use. This may include a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and things like a network connection. Then, when you come into the office, you just snap your laptop onto the dock. Since Dell laptops are meant for these docks, everything is taken care of automatically. The laptop will automatically enable the external peripherals and will be ready to work! When leaving the office, just turn the laptop off (or use the Safely Remove option) and push the eject button to pop the laptop off of the dock.

For what these docks cost, they're well worth it. We keep our employees safe and healthy while increasing productivity. I highly recommend a docking station to any laptop user and these Dell docks are some of the best I've seen!

This product has been pretty good to me. I use it at work so that I'm not constantly reattaching my keyboard, mouse, and second monitor. I'm able to just drop my dell on the dock, hit on, and its ready to go. If i ever need to detach the laptop, there are buttons that you can press to eject the comp. The eject button will light up and its ready to go. Super easy to use.