Whenever someone buys a slate tablet pc, the most common accessory purchased is a docking station – especially if the slate is going to be their primary workstation.
In this video, I demonstrate the docking station that can be purchased with the Motion Computing CL900 for $159. Motion claims that it “enables complete desktop PC functionality and connectivity”, however as demonstrated in the video, there are several issues with the docking station that buyers should be aware of before purchasing: no standard video output on the docking station and tablet easily comes out of the dock when the power button is slightly pressed. It is worth noting that the CL900 does have a mini-HDMI port, but part of the justification of a dock is not having to plug in cables every time a person docks / undocks. I also recommend that Motion update their product description text on the dock to indicate that an adapter cable will be necessary to plug in an external monitor if they have a DVI or VGA monitor.
I asked Motion about why they did not include a standard video output on the docking station and received this reply:
“The first docking station available with the CL900 is a countertop dock (designed for the standing working) vs. a standard docking station. This enables users to take advantage of touch input, for example as a sales person would do in a retail environment. There are solutions available, such as the micro-HDMI port on the CL900 or a USB to DVI or USB to VGA adapter from a preferred provider, to equip the countertop dock to function as a desktop docking station, and we anticipate that additional docking solutions for a variety of environments will be available in the future.”
Thanks Rob, surprising how sloppy the unit fits into the dock…i suppose motion didn’t want a too snug of fit making it difficult to remove but from your video i agree is way to sloppy. I would have assumed there would be a video output thanks for pointing it out. I too would like the dock to be adjustable in the angle even a few different positions.
Does the dock come with a power cord and if so how long is it? Last thing are there rubber feet on the bottom of dock?
The dock does come with a power cord and there are rubber feet on the bottom. Sorry, I don’t have a tape measure to measure the length of the cord, but it is very long – longer than normal.
Thanks.
Are there any third party solutions to use a real docking station instead of this thing?
Only the traditional 3rd party usb port extenders that are out there.
I have been looking for a third party docking station as well. I find that the travelling case allows the tablet to get too hot. It would be nice to have a easel type stand for travelling with all the ports in the back leg for ease of connection. I use a wireless keyboard and mouse set when I travel. How do we get Motion to make a travelling version of a dock?