Thinkpads Forum

If someone has some good pics of thier port replicator or docking station, could you please post them. Im trying to get a good feel for how large they are before i get one. I did a search but found little. Also, when the laptop is docked in either of these, will it charge the laptops battery? I see that there is a substancial price difference between the port rep and the docking station. Are there any other advantages to purchasing the docking station over the port rep, besides having more ports?

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps.

Btw, ill be purchasing a T43 once i have this whole thing figured out.

- Matt

I have both mini dock II and also port replicator.
don't have a pic, but hopefully someone has it.
Both mini dock and port replicator are almost the same size, When you set you lappy on it, it's about 3 inchs shorter then T42 (1 1/2 inch on both side)
It is also about 3-4 inch deep (don't have it in front of me right now)

Yes you can charge your battery while docking

Mini Dock II has 4 USB port and it come with it's own power adaptor
Port replicator has only 1 USB port, and you have to use your own power adaptor(the one that come with the notebook)
Dock II has it's own build in power supply (you only have to use a power cable to plug in, no need for adapotr) it has a PCI slot (most ppl use it for sound card) and a ultrabay slot

Personally I like mini dock the most, just because I plug a couple of USB devices on it, I really don't see the need for a full dock, just because I have no need for PCI slot and also another drive.

It's all up to you on your needs, if you don't have the need for all those USB devices, go for the Port replicator, if you have a couple of USB, go for mini dock, and if you have $$$$$$$$$$ go for the full dock

just my 2 cents
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I have just purchased a grand new ThinkPad Dock(MT2631) at 50USD
but it is only compatible with T2x,X2x,T30,X3x
So if you are using T4x,R5x, you'll have to buy a ThinkPad Dock II(MT2877) which the official price is quite expensive.

So let me get this straight...

When using the port replicator, i plug the power cable into the laptop, not the port replicator. In other words, the port replicator does not supply power to the laptop. The mini dock does supply power to the laptop because its plugged into the wall.

Is this correct?

What i want is to be able to come home and connect my laptop to either a docking station or a port replicator and have it charge the battery. I dont want to have to plug the laptop itself into the wall to charge it, i want the docking station or port replicator to do this.

So which do i purchase?

Stryper, no you've got it wrong. The mini-dock and the port replicator both require an AC adapter. You can use the one that came with your notebook or I think if you buy from IBM you will get one with the unit.
The AC adapter plugs into the port rep. or the mini-dock and stays there.
It provides the power for your notebook through the connection on the bottom of your notebook. The Dock II has an internal power supply and only needs an ac cord, no ac adapter is required for this unit. (It's the expensive one with the Ultrabay 2000, pcmcia slots and half height pci slot). Yes, all three will charge the battery while the notebook is attached, as long as the dock or replicator is plugged in.

Thanks, that was exactly the answer i was looking for.

T43 here i come!

Concerning the power adapters: my Mini Dock has a much larger and powerful adapter than my 14" T42 itself. This may be because it is meant to charge the batteries of more powerful TPs as well, and possible to provide power to those four powered USB ports of the built-in hub.
MiniDock adapter is input 1.5 Amps, output max 7.5 A at 16 Volt, the T42 adapter is input 0.9 to 1.5 amps, output 4.5 Amps at 16 volt. Both accept input at voltages between 100 and 240 Volt - so they can be used almost anywhere, given the proper power cord.
So yes, the MiniDock does charge the TP's battery.
I can also add that a T4x series, which has most of its own ports on the sides, keeps its two USB ports active when hooked up to the MiniDock, so one has effectively 6 USB ports available. And I find the slight angle of the machine when resting in the dock quite comfortable for typing. Recommended.