The biggest advantage of laptop computers over their desktop cousins is their portability, but the flipside is that they are significantly harder than desktop PCs to upgrade. Bumping up the hard drive capacity, upping the screen size, or adding better speakers can be achieved with the addition of multiple peripherals, but continuously plugging in and unplugging these extra devices can get to be a real hassle. Zemno’s DeskBook Pro portable docking station eases the pain considerably, and its ModBay Technology enables the DeskBook Pro to support internal connection of hard drives, batteries and peripherals.
The DeskBook Pro not only saves time plugging and unplugging multiple peripherals, it also makes it easier to take your peripherals with you when hitting the road.
The dock’s two ModBays house removable modules that allow internal docking of popular external devices. The sMod is a 500GB HDD that provides extra storage inside the dock and also doubles as a portable HDD that can be removed from the dock and used with other devices. The bMod is a Lithium-Ion battery that provides around 2.5 hours of additional power, depending on use, while the yet to be released iMod will provide internal docking and charging of iPods and iPhones.
Zemno plans to continue developing ModBays to take advantage of the latest peripherals and ensure the DeskBook Pro stays up to date.
Aside from the two ModBays, the DeskBook Pro provides your laptop with an additional:
- 7 USB Ports
- 3 FireWire 800 Ports (2 downstream, 1 upstream)
- 1 FireWire 400 Port
- 1 DVI Output (supporting resolutions up to 1920 x 1080)
- 1 Ethernet Port
- 1 eSATA Data Connection
- 1 eSATA Power Connection
- 1 Audio Stereo Input
- 1 Audio Stereo Output
- 1 Flash Card Reader
Although its all-aluminum body and rounded corners make it a perfect fit for a unibody Mac, the DeskBook Pro is compatible with any Mac or PC laptop up to 15” with FireWire and USB capabilities. That’s because the dock connects to the computer over FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 simultaneously. HDD ModBays and eSATA data is sent over the FireWire 800 connection, while all other ports and peripherals utilize the USB 2.0 connection.
The Zemno DeskBook Pro measures 1.1 x 14.25 x 9.82-inches (28 x 364 x 249 mm) and weighs in at 2.9 lbs (1300g) without ModBays, and 4 lbs (1820g) with.
The dock itself is available for pre-order now at US$499.99, while the sMod 500GB Module is priced at US$129.99, and the bMod battery module costs US$99.99. That adds up to quite an outlay, but for anyone looking for an easy, portable option for upping the specs on their laptop, the DeskBook Pro could be well worth it.
