Customer Reviews

Kensington sd100s Notebook Docking Station with Stand K60721US

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, I recently purchased a Dell M1530 laptop with Vista 32bit Ultimate. Unfortunately the computer does not come with a standard docking station, which I would have preferred as you can sit it down and be done. With the M1530 about 1" stick out on either side of the station but it works and looks fine. I also have the 9 cell battery which sticks out a bit in the back of the laptop and it still just fits without pressing any of the keys in the front which was another concern of mine, for normal laptops up to 1.5" thick or maybe even 2" you should be ok its just harder to slide the laptop in and out. But I'm convinced with some practice it will be no problem, I did knock off a key the first time when I was not being cautious but luckily it popped right back on.

I was looking for the next best thing, I didn't want to use an external monitor as that would add to clutter. Despite reading the other reviews citing issues with drivers I went ahead and purchased. Once it arrived I inserted the Windows Vista CD it came with and then plugged in the USB cord. It installed the driver (I believe only took the Ethernet driver off the CD) and internet/USB devices were working. Didn't notice any speed slowdown with the internet and I tested speed before/after the docking station. I nervously plugged in my speakers to the docking station but they also worked perfectly. NOTE: By default in Vista your laptop will use the new "USB Speakers" if they are connected, but you can change this simply by right clicking the speaker icon on bottom right of your taskbar, clicking playback devices, and setting your laptop speakers as default and then restarting the media program you are using.

So now I arrive home, put my laptop in the stand (this is the awkward part - for side-entry the best way is to slide it in without going deeper than the mousepad, then once its centered lower it until it hits the bottom - for top-entry its much more simple as you can just lower it from the top but my desk has a roof) and connect power/USB and I'm done. Though it is a bit odd looking its highly functional and kinda cool. The note holding is also very handy and my IR remote works nicely through the plastic at the bottom.

I own an Acer laptop and Acer doesn't offer dedicated docking stations, so I was happy to come across this item. I also found a good deal on it, which made me even happier.
today I got the product and I am returning it tomorrow.
First, this thing is MASSIVE! in the pictures you see the supporting leg at its closest position to the base, but that would position the screen at about your forehead hight. If you open the leg to a realistic angle the footprint it HUGE, a lot bigger then the laptop itself would have taken!
second, its a universal stand and it shows; my laptop is a supper ordinary 15.4 size, and yet the feet is lousy - it sticks out on both sides (the pictures must be showing a 12 inch laptop), and it is VERY loose thickness wise - it basically just lies there with no real support.
I would also expect a stand of this kind to improve heat disposal in a way, since it elevates the laptop, but on the contrary - its back has no holes and it is flat against my laptop buttom. Even a regular paper notebook under my laptop does a better job!
last, it blocks access to many important keys on my laptop, such as volume, card reader and more.
The docking station itself (SD100) isn't much either. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, this is at best a port replicator, not a docking station. If you have to buy it, than it is better by itself than with the stand, but again, I don't think it is worth the price. get a great powered USB hub for 20$ and be done with it. to pay that much more for an extra audio plug is just not worth it. and what is the point of getting an Ethernet cable modem if eventually you get everything running through a single over loaded USB cable (the one that connects the whole docking station to the laptop). If any of you need a reminder about how slow USB is (even USB 2), try to connect an external hard drive once with a USB cable and once with Firewire, and see the difference. So I ended up connecting the network cable directly to my laptop anyway....
I usually like Kensington products, but I must say that this one is a serious disappointment.

Like many laptop users, I was literally hunched over my computer for hours a day, before purchasing this docking station. Now my laptop screen is fully centered at eye-level. Using the station couldn't be easier. My printer, back-up hard-drive, ethernet, keyboard, etc. all stay plugged into the station. When I return to my desk, my laptop keyboard slips easily into the slot. Easy access to my computer's USB slots (both sides and rear) make plugging in the power and the docking station (1-USB) convenient. An added plus is the reduced cable clutter in my work area and the classy black sheen of the station. The front of the station does not block reception by your remote (a convenience I don't actually use). One consideration for all stations like this one, turning on your computer while in the docking station would be a challenge if your on/off switch is on the front edge of your computer (and thus buried in the bottom of the dock). The remote access would help here. My computer has a second DVD/Computer on/off switch on the screen, so this is not a problem for me.

When I first saw the docking station I was very exited. I like the black color because it matched with my Lenovo 17" wide screen. I liked the features it provided too. The only critic I have so far, is the fact that it is not really made for a 17" inch laptop. It is a perfect fit for a 15 " wide screen laptop. It doesn't come with a keyboard and the second picture is misleading. The docking station does not come with a remote starter. You have to buy that separately. Overall I like the equipment and the features like being able to plug speakers and network cable in the back. Not sure if it is worth the price. Personally I would have really liked to see a customizable docking station for 17" where the side of the laptop don't have to be outside the docking station. I have to make sure I don't jerk my working table too much. To me 17" laptop is what most people would want to use as a desktop.

I've used this with my Dell620 (XP) and Toshiba A205 (Vista) laptops. Drivers worked well for each. Black finish is nice, shows some dust but compliments both PCs. Love the fact that my wireless keyboard \rodent, MagicJack, and external drive can now stay plugged in.

The Toshiba has top mounted speakers, so I have to use the audio properties to make the laptop use its own - the dock defaults to the audio out port on the replicator.

I have one complaint (-1 Star) it doesn't have a video-out port. So when dual monitoring (almost always) have to to connect the monitor directly to the laptop.

Aside from that, I'm very pleased with the unit.

First, as other reviewers have noted, this isn't a notebook dock, it's a port replicator. It won't handle the connection to a second monitor, and it won't power your laptop.

However, even disregarding that, I'm having terrible problems with it. I have constant problems with lag/stutter where my mouse stops responding for 1-4 seconds, or my keyboard repeats a key entry a couple dozen times (see below for example). It's like the dock can't handle input and gets hung up (and I'm not using half the ports. Extremely frustrating.

I typed "stutter" and this is what it entered: stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. Happens about every 30-90 seconds. And drives me crazy. The dock, in theory, is awesome, and I wish it worked.

UPDATE: Discovered that if you disable power management in the Windows Device Manager for all USB Root Hubs, the lag/stutter problem stops. I'll increasing my rating from 2 stars to 3 as a result, but it should be noted that this resolution was not documented on Kensington's site (or anywhere else I looked online) - I just happened to figure it out. Happier now that the dock us usable, but it shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

If you have to use your laptop for more than a few hours, the chance is that you are hurting your back posture as I found out the hard way. Sitting slumped to be able to read the laptop screen (designed to be much lower than eye level) is a certain cause for upper back and neck pain.

Occasional email checking is fine but more serious work would require you to level your eyeballs in such a way to give you a correct sitting posture.

That's when this device comes in.

It conveniently slots your laptop securely to allow you to unfold & lift your laptop screen to bring it to your eye level. In the process, you will be sitting upright looking at the screen.

Other bonus features include an USB cable to connect your laptop to the docking station with an in-built Ethernet port, 5x USB 2.0 ports, microphone & sound.

Once setting up, all your peripherals can be hooked up to the docking station allowing you to unhook the laptop and leave under 60 seconds.

A solid constructed piece.

Highly recommended.

I recently started to work from home and wanted to set up a dual monitor system and use my ergo keyboard and trackball. I have a Dell Inspiron which doesn't have a docking station so figured I would try a stand instead of a universal docking station because I was hoping to save a bit on desk space. Despite an earlier review that indicated that this stand has a footprint as large as the laptop itself, I decided to take a chance.

The other reviewer was right. This actually takes up more desk space than just the laptop itself. However, it also raises the total height of the unit to where if you have bookshelves above where your monitor would stand (as is common with many cubicle spaces), you would probably hit the bottom of the shelves as well.

In addition, the USB port/docking port is lacking a 9-pin (or is it 15-pin) monitor connector so you still have to plug and unplug an external monitor into the laptop. So using this docking station I still wind up having to plug 3 separate items into the computer every time I dock it: The monitor plug, the USB cable for the docking station and the power plug. To me, that isn't saving much in the way of setting up or take down.

The build quality is solid -- my laptop is 15.4" (screen) and it fits easily into the stand. The entire is very solid feeling and it looks nice. I just wish it made things a bit more compact or convenient from a plug perspective. About the only "net benefit" is that the stand hides the keyboard (turning it into a "copy stand" and it raises the height of the laptop display to be at a more ergonomic angle.

I am keeping the unit despite its shortcomings. I guess my advice is just be aware of what you are looking for in a universal docking station. If it is for ease of grabbing your laptop and going and to save space, this isn't going to be the write solution for you.

[NCJAR]

This docking station works perfect with my Dell laptop. I have all my cords run through to the bottom of my desk where the docking station plugs in (on the floor). I power up my computer, plug in the few cords and presto I can now use a wireless keyboard and external monitor! SO much better now that I have a larger screen to work with (my dell only had a 15" monitor). Very happy with the product. It is somewhat large and bulky, however I have mine hidden underneath my desk. Would definitly purchase again, maybe for my home.

I was looking for a docking station to consolidate wires on my desk and take the place of a flat screen monitor that I was using previously. This product was easy to set-up and the software was no problem install. It does not seem to fit my Toshiba perfectly, and does not take into consideration the pivot point where the laptop opens and closes, but when they make a "universal" docking station, you cannot expect it to fit all laptop makes and models perfectly. My only complaint is the matte finish of the black pastic, which is a dust magnet and reveals any and all finger prints on its surface. More of a textured, low gloss finish would have made more sense to me so as to be easier to keep clean.