IBM Think Pad Docking stations??? What purpose do they serve?

Question

How well do you know the IBM thinkpad line. I used to own one but never understood the concept of 'docking station' for the laptops
do u knw why they have that and others dont?
Isnt that so bulky and what purpose does it serve? I'm considering purchasing an Lenovo X41 Tablet and it doesnt come with speakers or an optical drive. The only option is to purchase a heavy station that affixes to the tablet.

Explain why they hve it like that and not like other laptops which do not require docking stations.

Thanks

Answer 1

The docking station is used to provide a better "desktop replacement" experience. The idea is that you attach a large monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, maybe external speakers, a CD-Drive, etc to the docking station at work, at home, etc...

Then you carry around your super light laptop, but when you are at work/home/dorm, you can just "dock" your laptop to the docking station an now you have all of the amenities of a large desktop machine (keyboard, mouse, printer, monitor, etc...)

The concept is to trade off weight/bulk from a laptop and add it to a docking station -- the things you don't typically need when you are mobile. I use one at work and at home -- it is a great convenience. Plus you can dock and eject without shutting down your computer -- making the overall experience that much more compelling.

good luck

Answer 2

Laptops are designed to be portable, so they are stripped down to the bare minimum for most hardware. A docking station is designed to give you a way to easily attach additional hardware to your laptop. The dock is NOT designed to be mobile.

I have a Dell laptop that I move regularly in my work. But I have a docking station with a mouse, monitor, keyboard, DVD burner, storage hard drive, and speakers attached. When I am in my office, I can slip it into the dock and get all the extras without having to been 20 minutes plugging and unplugging everything. That is the purpose of a docking station.

Answer 3

There are different reasons for docking tails, depending on the breed. It is not simply for looks. Many breeds that have tails docked have fragile tails that are easily broken. Originally, these breeds were used for work and the tails would be injured, so they were docked to prevent it. It is far more tramatic (painful) for a dog to lose a tail at an older age than when they are young. Most places that ban tail docking still allow it for working dogs, so even they admit it DOES serve a function. People who feel it is fine for working dogs but not for pets argue that only working dogs should have it done. The problem with that is that at the young age (days old if I am not mistaken), it is impossible to tell working from pet dogs, so the entire litter is done. Also, just because a dog is not used for working, does not mean that it won't have a chance to injure the tail. ----- @Johnny - if I am not mistaken, Dobermans have fragile tails. And they are also docked to prevent someone from grabbing the tail while the dog is working as a guard dog. ------------- @Hippie momma - PETA is also against pet ownership in general. Their goal is to "phase out" companion animals and "return to a more symbiotic relationship — enjoyment at a distance".