Belkin unveils ExpressCard Notebook Expansion Dock

If you're tired of seeing those poor excuses for universal docks that connect via USB 2.0 -- most of which can't even export video without bringing your machine to a grinding halt -- you'll be elated to know that Belkin has upped the ante on the lackluster alternatives with its Notebook Expansion Dock. This device provides the extra USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet jack, and stereo inputs / outputs you've come to know and love, but steps it up in the A / V department where other units simply can't find the bandwidth to compete. By interfacing with your laptop via the oh-so-speedy ExpressCard slot, this universal dock "quadruples" the amount of available bandwidth compared to the sluggish USB 2.0 offerings, and boasts an impressive "2.0Gbps of throughput" for your media-centric needs. By relocating the bottleneck, the device can push full-motion video through its DVI or VGA ports at an unparalleled 1,600 x 1,200 resolution, channel 5.1 surround sound through the Toslink digital output, and operate peripherals connected to any of the five USB 2.0 connectors -- all while allowing your mouse cursor to function sans jerkiness. Windows XP users (sorry, Mac brethren) that aren't reserving that zippy ExpressCard slot for some other gizmo can pick up the Notebook Expansion Dock for $199.99.

[Via PocketLint]

[myke.lyons @ Oct 11th 2006 7:45AM]

When are they going to come out with something for my Macbook Pro? It seems that this is only for WinX boxes.

[Zadillo @ Oct 11th 2006 8:07AM]

Can someone clarify exactly whether or not this thing will only use its own internal GPU, or whether you can still use your laptop's GPU? It seems like it would be really nice if you played games, but from what I've read elsewhere, it sounds like this thing uses its own GPU so gameplaying, etc. would be out of the question.

[sandeep @ Oct 11th 2006 2:59PM]

thats cool
can i call it max box

swathi
http://atrieecs.seo.iitm.ac.in/shaastra-autophytes/

[Buzzsaw @ Oct 11th 2006 3:25PM]

@myke.lyons

Why would anyone, like Belkin here with this device, make something for a Mac when apple only has 3-4% of the worldwide operating system market share? Last time I checked companies were in business to make money, and the idea of "Gee let's make something that not many people will buy" doesn't jive.

[Drew @ Oct 12th 2006 5:19PM]

well buzz, seeing the popularity of the macbooks and macbook pros, and considering that this is a notebook only accessory, i think it _would_ be relatively profitable .. at least no less so than for Windows-based laptops (since I doubt this thing will be all that popular, anyhow)

[H?n @ Oct 16th 2006 10:49AM]

Drew, the problem is of course that the Macbook doesn't have a expresscard slot. So the only model left is the Macbook Pro.



So, 2-2.5 percent total global marketshare, similar desktop/notebook ratio as the wintel world. Assuming Macbook make up two thirds of total sales. Leaving ~0.5-1 percent marketshare to Macbook Pro.

In light of this, I fully understand Belkins decision.

As a sidenote, this also showes that Expresscard, while being almost twice as fast as Cardbus, is already lacking in bandwidth. They should have made it at least PCIe 2x, or preferably 4x. A 4x is by the way almost sufficent to saturate a GPU like a Geforce 6800GT with very little performance penalty.

Cardbus was introduced almost ten years ago, when pentium a II 300 was considered high-end. Todays computers are at least a magnitud of scale faster.

What is nice about PCIe although, is that it should be possible to add lines or increase transfer rate without breaking backward compatibility.

[Candice Lee @ Oct 26th 2006 9:12AM]

Actually guys, it says Sorry Mac users. It's only for PC...

Even though Macbooks were the first to have the expresscard and even though currently there is no kind of docking stations for macs (even though there are a TON for PC).

A lot of Mac users use their laptops as desktops too since they are so powerful (for video, pictures, extensive graphics...). Belkin says their working on one to be compatible with Mac as well, but that's just a might...in the future.

We may be a small number, but I run my office with macs and have one at home - my husband is in the IT field working with PC's all day. After working with a Mac, he said he will never buy a PC for himself ever again. Macs are just that much better.

[Chao @ Aug 30th 2007 9:04PM]

Candice Lee, maybe you husband's PC is neither no good in PC world, or incidently his company did not give him a good one, and suddenly you showed him a mac (yes, people tend to like new things to them)... So the story begins... PC has huge market where there is both elite and rubbish. With the money you spend on a mac you surely can find a better solution in PC world.