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This article was written for the IT Professional supporting businesses with multiple users, applications, and use cases. Please keep in mind that a solution for a complex set of enterprise use cases is often very different from a solution proposed for a limited use case (i.e. a single user platform). This is also what often makes B2B very different from B2C recommendations. A dock bought on a popular E-Commerce site may be an excellent fit for one user, but not sustainable across the enterprise they are employed by.
At Targus, a “docking station” is considered a device that connects or enhances a laptop with monitor, networking, and USB ports. Hyper may use the term “hub” for such devices interchangeably with “dock” or “docking station”. There is nothing to prevent using either a Targus or Hyper- branded docking station for enterprise applications. This article is intended to assist the IT Professional in selecting the best solution for the bulk of the use cases, applications, and user requirements being addressed by docking various hosts within an enterprise.
Too many enterprises buy a dock based on price, and later find that their uses cases were not exhaustively thought out, resulting in disappointment in their dock solution. Answering the considerations below may prevent this negative experience.
A dock is used primarily to add I/O ports that hosts are devoid of, thus improving productivity and workstation capability. Consider the following basic input/output questions first and foremost:
Note: Between the Targus and Hyper brands just about any I/O port requirement can be met.
Workstations used primarily for cloud applications, email, and other business office applications can often be adequately supported with high compression graphics solutions or USB graphics (DisplayLink or Silicon Motion). These are Targus DOCK1XX, DOCK3XX, and DOCK5XX models.
In contrast, applications that require native uncompressed graphics or loss-less video are better served by Thunderbolt or other Alternate Mode (commonly labeled USB-C) graphics-based docking stations. Even some gaming applications are better with Alt. Mode based docking stations. Targus DOCK430 and almost all Hyper docking stations support Alt. Mode.
Note: Targus and Hyper also have hybrid docking stations that support both USB and Alt. Mode graphics. These include Targus DOCK7XX.
The host doesn't necessarily determine the dock recommendation as much as it used to when proprietary host connection methods were the industry standard. But there are some questions to address regarding the host use case(s):
Note: Most Targus and many Hyper docking stations are validated for Power, Power Delivery, and docking functions with enterprise-class PCs, Chromebooks, and MacBooks of various graphics capabilities from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. Many also support Android and iPad docking use cases. Before deploying in mass, consider validating any dock solution in your enterprise environment.
During the scarcity period for electronics in general, it was often necessary to compare other docks to Targus and Hyper solutions. Since Hyper and Targus have many products, some purpose built to a particular set of (often MacBook) hosts, the DocKtor advises to compare docks at a technology level. If the dock to be changed is:
Note: There are many other solutions from Hyper that may be more closely related to the requirements of a docking need. Contact us to discuss as they are too many to list here.
There are many other seemingly subtle - but no less important - considerations to ponder before selecting a dock:
Note: All Targus and Hyper docking stations are supported by a global network of DocKtors, enterprise salespeople, and customer service representatives.
6. What are the challenges of your current and under test docking station solution that need to be overcome?
Nobody buys a drill because they need a drill; they buy a drill because they want a hole. The trick is to figure out what kind of hole, what the hole is for, why make the hole, and most importantly what is gained by making the hole. Same for docking. There is no one size fits all requirements but the DOCK182 and ACC1136 is pretty close.
As with any purchase, the budget must be considered. But don’t be tempted to buy just on price. Value is much more relevant to enterprise IT. The adage, “You get what you pay for” is still very relevant in electronics. However, not every enterprise has the budget to buy the best docking solution and, in some cases, there may be ways to trim costs when not all the features and performance of the Targus DOCK182 are needed.
Note: Targus has been in business for 40 years and is not just another vendor on the popular eTail sites. Targus (and now Hyper) back products with an actionable warranty. We will be here to fix it if it breaks. Also, we test and validate our docks, and design them to be robust and reliable for the long term. We help our customers deploy and use their products and even train their users.
Our WW Applications Engineers aka “DocKtors” live and love working for our customers to find solutions to their pain points and requirements. Please contact us for further support or information.
Contact your Targus representative for more information, pricing, and availability.
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