Computer Or Docking Station?

vbrtrmn writes: "A company called Mobility, has recently introduced a cross between a docking station and a desktop PC. It's called the EasiDock 5000. It looks like a normal Desktop PC, though the EasiDock plugs into a laptop's PCMCIA card slot, using it as a highbandwidth bus (1,250Mbps). The EasiDock comes with: 5 drive bays, 3 PCI slots, 2 IDE controllers, a 2-port USB hub; get the PDF datasheet. Unfortunatly, it currently only supports Windows 98/98SE and Windows NT 4.0, though they boast, 'Coming soon... Win 2000 & Millennium, Apple, Linux.'"

Comments

Not what you think it is.

[rreay]

OK, If these are the guys I saw at Comdex '99 this is *NOT* a PC like some people seem to think.

They built what they call a split bridge PCI bus. It's a PCI bridge chipset that can have the two ends seperated by up to 25 ft of cable.

So what this particular product is, is a PCI bus on a PC card. It adds a few PCI slots, an IDE chain and a couple of other things (USB, PS2) on the end of a wire.

Personally I thought the technology was a lot cooler than than what they planned for it, but hey who am I to say.

-Rob

What's the point?

[levik]

Is it a PC with a pre requisite of having a laptop? I don't get it...

And what's wrong with networking your laptop to your Desktop? All the drives and services like printing can be shared through ethernet...

This device sounds like that lollypop watch invention on "The Simpsons".

Moderation system for stories.

[JebOfTheForest]

It's stories like this that make me think we should have a moderation system for submissions in the queue. This is little more than an ad for a not-that-interesting product. Who cares?

jeb.

Re:Moderation system for stories.

[Syberghost]

Not only that, but it's not even an original product; these kinds of things have existed for years.

-

Useful idea

[NoWhere Man]

This concept is actually very useful. Gives laptop users the ability for mass storage, and perpherial use, using just one PC.
I am just wondering if the size could be cut down, the thing seems as big as a regular desktop case (mini-tower model).
And according to the datasheet the thing only has a 150W power supply. Sort of limiting. Motherboards don't really need more than that (never have), only reason really to get 300W is the amount of perpherials, and from the looks of things, this one supports up to that many. I wonder if there are going to be any power consumption problems?
One good thing is the expansion PCI slots, my new Toshiba 4043's sound card is crap compared to my Sound Blaster Live.
And I guess the BIOS of this thing would have to auto-detect hard drives on boot, unless the software to configure it programs the FLASH ROM/RAM or something.

Re:'who cares' is right.

[cheese_wallet]

I haven't read the other replies to your message, so this may be (redundent -1).

Are you really that upset by seeing a less than stellar story posted on slashdot? "Who cares?" is exactly right. If you don't like the story, so what? I am sorry that you didn't have the self control to stop reading it and move on to something more interesting. Worse, you waste even more time with an less interesting, yet irritating, post.

I have a few moderator points left, but I chose not to use them here so I could ask you a few things:

• Why does it bother you to occasionally see boring stories on slashdot?
• Why do you insult the submitter of the story you don't like? Do you think their intent was malicious? Was it their goal to cause you boredom?
• Why didn't you ignore the story? I do it all the time... works for me, that self control thing.

I guess that is it.