So you bought a new Windows 7 Based tablet. If you are like me you and you picked up the Asus EEE Slate EP121 then you are very happy with your purchase. However, no matter what product you picked up you are probably finding limitations. The biggest one that I have found is that I run out of USB ports and there are not many monitors that support HDMI in a resolution that the EEE Slate can realistically handle. There is also the little nagging issue that I would like to use the Gigabit network I have built in my house. I mean sure, the wireless n card in the EP 121 is good and certainly fast, but why stick with 150Mbps when you can have 1000? Today we offer up a possible solution as we take a deep look at the Lenovo USB 2.0 dock complete with DisplayLink’s USB to VGA technology. It should be interesting to say the least.
Value -Value is another very subjective topic. What is expensive to some might be a deal to others. You can look at this topic in multiple ways. One is raw price and the other is what you get for the money. Each is accurate and both are correct ways to look at price/value. We tend to look at features, performance and real-property when we discuss value. However, we also take into account the raw cash cost of the item. We found the Lenovo USB 2.0 dock online for $50. When you consider what you get (audio adapter, four extra USB 2.0 ports, video adapter and an extra 10/100 LAN port) it is not a bad deal; at least not if you have a tablet or another device with limited USB ports. On the other hand if you already have some of these then the dock’s usefulness does tend to diminish. The only thing extra feature that I can see if offering is the ability to shift the display over and close the lid on your laptop. Is this worth $50? That one I will leave up to you. Conclusion -The Lenovo USB 2.0 dock has potential, it can bring some nice extras to your tablet, laptop or netbook. It lacks a few things though. I would have liked to see a Gigabit network adapter instead of the 10/100 one that it comes with. I would also have liked it to be a little more low-profile and less of an eyesore. On the other hand (when you leave off those two things) you do get what is advertised; a docking station/ port replicator that will let you enhance any tablet you might own (with the exception of an Android or iOS based one). To put things plainly if you have a tablet or you need to add a better video adapter (or another monitor) to an existing laptop or netbook then this might be $50 well spent.Discuss this product in our forum
