Kensington Serves Up Two USB DisplayLink Notebook Docking Stations

Timing is a funny thing, isn't it? Just a few short days after Toshiba revealed its new universal docking station, along comes Kensington to give them a little competition. But Kensington's new pair of universal docks have something that Toshiba's doesn't: DisplayLink.

The sd300v and sd400v are both designed to pass along video signals over USB, meaning that each of them have DisplayLink technology baked in. The USB docks allow people to connect their display, mouse, keyboard and speakers to any notebook PC though a single simple USB 2.0 connection, meaning that you don't have to connect nearly as many wires as with a traditional docking station.

One thing that has generally held universal docks back was their inability to transmit higher resolutions from notebook to monitor. Kensington's new devices change all that. The Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI and Ethernet, Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI, and the Kensington Universal Multi-Display Adapter are all powered by the new DisplayLink DL-195 USB graphics processor. That processor supports HD display resolutions up to 2048 x 1152, so you can kiss those limitations you used to know goodbye. All of the above products have driver support for Windows 2000, Windows XP (32-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit, Aero 3D interface) and Mac OS X, with planned support for the forthcoming Windows 7, and pricing for each is listed below.

More specifics on the Kensington peripherals include:

• The Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI and Ethernet: allows users to plug a single USB cable from the dock into their notebooks and be online and ready to go in an instant. “Auto install” design makes the initial install a true “plug and play” experience, with no CD software required. The mini-tower design is full of features and has DVI-I output for digital and analog monitor support, HD screen capability for large monitors, audio support for 2.1 stereo speakers and internet chat headsets, and five USB 2.0 ports. (K33926US) Suggested street price: $149.99.
• The Kensington Universal Notebook Docking Station with VGA/DVI: As simple and sleek to use as the version with Ethernet, it connects users with everything needed at their fingertips – monitors, printers, speakers and more. (K33930US) Suggested street price: $129.99.
• The Kensington Universal Multi-Display Adapter: The convenient device makes it easy to add additional monitors to any desktop or laptop PC via USB, giving users more screen space to manage multiple tasks without constantly needing to juggle multiple windows. The simple USB design also makes it possible to add extra monitors [up to 6 monitors] without having to purchase and install extra graphics cards. The adapter has DVI-I output for digital and analog monitor support, a DVI to VGA adapter to connect to any type of monitor or projector, and HDMI monitor support through the use of an additional third party DVI to HDMI connector (not included). (K33928US) Suggested street price: $79.99.