When will you offer USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station?

1

I’ve noticed more and more laptops in the stores are starting to come with USB 3.0 adapters. Do you have any plans to provide a USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Dockingstation anytime soon, or is that type of product still many months or years out in the future? Thanks…

2

Hi Dan,

Thanks for asking! USB 3.0 universal docking stations are now a matter of months away (not years). The key is chipset and driver support from the key technology suppliers (like DisplayLink), and that’s coming together.

So we don’t have dates yet, but I’m hopeful these products will make it to market by the end of 2011, and intend to have a Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station among the first wave.

Obviously the price points will be slightly higher, and there will be some trade-offs, but you’ll get a bunch of wins, including the big ones:

  1. The bus will no longer be the main bottleneck for graphics performance, as it is for USB 2.0
  2. And yet, the USB 3.0 docking station hardware will also work on USB 2.0 systems (at USB 2.0 speeds), so you can buy and deploy them to all the systems you have, old or new, and gain the USB 3.0 benefits,as more of your systems have it over time.

Thanks again for the question,
Bernie

3

Can we get an update? Do you still think a USB 3.0 docking station will be available before the end of 2011?

4

Hi Mark,

Thanks for asking! We still don’t have any dates to announce. And time is getting tight for 2011. One thing I think you’ll see is a first wave of USB 3.0 adapters (graphics only) that will come out a little before the (more complex) docking stations do. So look for that in terms of clues on timing.

But things haven’t shifted dramatically, so you definitely won’t have to wait very far into 2012, if it comes to that.

Best wishes and thanks,
Bernie