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The main advantage is usually the charging. But the greatest <strong>disadvantage&nbsp;</strong>is that most of the time, when you are replacing your laptop, the docking will not be compatible with your new laptop. You could also buy a USB hub on which you can connect most of your cables (monitors, keyboard, mouse, network, ...) that will fit any laptop in the future (as long as they have the same USB connector)
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sukhoi35

Gerald Connolly

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+ on what Rindi said!<br><br>and be aware that ports have an insertion events limits, ie they only have so much gold on the contacts, and can only cope with a finite number of insertions/de-insertion events, maybe be in the low 100's after that they start becoming unreliable.<br><br>Docking stations are designed to cope with lots of connection events!
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<p>Hello Experts,</p><p>I recently upgraded to a DELL XPS 13 for home use. I am required to connect a monitor with HDMI port and an external storage drive with USB. I use the laptop mostly for basic browsing.</p><p><br></p><p>So, my options are:</p><p>1) Buy two 'USB-A to USB-C' adapters for the thunderbolt ports</p><p>2) And buy one 'HDMI to USB-C' adapter</p><p>totally costing not more than $50</p><p>Or,</p><p>Buy a docking station like 'dell-docking-station-wd19s-180w', which would cost around $400' and having the required ports and the capability to charge the laptop.</p><p><br></p><p>I am wondering what are the other advantages of buying a docking station over just some adapters cables to connect the storage and monitor. Any inputs highly appreciated.</p><p><br></p><p>Thanks.</p><p><br></p>
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Hello Experts,
I recently upgraded to a DELL XPS 13 for home use. I am required to connect a monitor with HDMI port and an external storage drive with USB. I use the laptop mostly for basic browsing.
So, my options are:
1) Buy two 'USB-A to USB-C' adapters for the thunderbolt ports
2) And buy one 'HDMI to USB-C' adapter
totally costing not more than $50
Or,
Buy a docking station like 'dell-docking-station-wd19s-180w', which would cost around $400' and having the required ports and the capability to charge the laptop.
I am wondering what are the other advantages of buying a docking station over just some adapters cables to connect the storage and monitor. Any inputs highly appreciated.
Thanks.

What are the advantages of a docking station?

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A laptop or notebook is a portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use. Although originally there was a distinction between laptops and notebooks, the former being bigger and heavier than the latter, there is often no longer any difference. Laptops are commonly used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, and for personal multimedia. A laptop combines the components, inputs, outputs and capabilities of a desktop computer, including the display screen, speakers, a keyboard, and pointing devices (such as a touchpad or trackpad) into a single unit. The device can be powered either from a rechargeable battery or by mains electricity from an AC adapter.