Today we celebrate the 37th anniversary of the Laptop. Created because Desktops were too heavy to carry around, the Laptop was supposed to make life easier for consumers.
Laptops were invented by Adam Osborne in 1981. The “Osborne 1” was powered by the CP/M 2.2 operating system, had no onboard battery a tiny 5-inch (13 cm) display screen and used a single sided, single density floppy disk drives. Although much different than its modern descendant, the Osborne 1 did have many of the limitations seen with today’s laptop.
Limitations of Laptops – My Formidable Five
It is true that Laptops are much more convenient and travel friendly than desktops. However, given how expensive they are, you would think there would be more options. Here are my pet peeves with laptops.
- Ports be gone? . Gone are the days where you would see six USB ports. On average you would have two or three. However, after using a single USB port for the dongle of your wireless mouse. A second for your USB flash drive, and the last one for your USB ethernet adapter. You would have to decide which of my devices can I remove to attach another USB device?
- Video: Laptops today only provide you with a single external video interface. Is it VGA or DVI or HDMI or a Display Port ? What do you do if the interface port on your laptop doesn’t match the external video device ?
- Keyboard Limitations: The keyboards installed on these laptops are challenging. The Insert, Delete, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down keys can usually be accessed with the painstaking FN (function) key combinations. To add to the jolt, cursor keys are often half height and mushed up with the other keys
- Too Hot to Handle: Laptops tend to heat up. Have you ever tried keeping your laptop on your lap during a long (train, bus) commute ? If you have a high-end laptop with an i7 processor and top notch GPU, your lap will feel the laptop heat up a lot.
- Upgrades? What Upgrades: You can certainly upgrade lots of laptop components. However, due to their compact size and manufacturers making it extremely difficult to open and access components. Laptop computers are far less modifiable than desktop computers.
The Solution is a Docking Station
Kensington is aware and sympathetic to many of the problems consumers face with their laptops. They have created the Kensington’s LD5400T Thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K Dock with K-Fob Smart Lock to eliminate some of these pet peeves.
The Kensington’s LD5400T Thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K Dock with K-Fob Smart Lock is a 2-in-1 docking and locking solution. Compatible with both Windows and Mac users, the LD5400T can be used at home, in the office or taken on the road.
The LD5400T offers smart encrypted security by providing the consumer with the simplicity of keyless locking. The station can be secured to any fixed object with the removable tethered lock cable, using the built-in Kensington Security Slot with a cable lock, or by using the desktop mounting holes.
The Kensington’s LD5400T Thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K Dock with K-Fob Smart Lock provides a variety of ports ensure all your needs are met with a single device. Connect to peripheral accessories via two Thunderbolt 3 ports – one for power delivery and data transfer and one for USB-C compatibility or daisy chaining up to 5 additional Thunderbolt-enabled devices, four USB 3.0 ports (5V/0.9A), one 1Gbps Ethernet port, and a combo 3.5mm audio in/out port. Great for connecting a mouse, keyboard, USB flash drive, ethernet and much more.
And because Kensington is aware of the challenges laptop consumers face with monitors, the LD5400T enables consumers to connect either a single external 5K monitor (5120 x 2880 @ 60Hz) or 2 dual 4k monitors (4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz) through either the DisplayPort v1.2 or via USB-C video adapter.
Installation of the LD5400T is simple. Just place your laptop is placed on cushioned bumpers of the docking station. It is compatible with Mac OS 10.13+ and Windows 10+ devices with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 320mm (12.6in) x 220mm (8.7in) x 44mm (1.7in)
- Weight: 1.5kg (3.4lbs)
- Connectivity: Thunderbolt 3 Cable (0.5m /1.6ft)
- Power: Supports USB-C PD 2.0 (85W of laptop charging)
- Features:
- Maximum Resolution Supported: Single Monitor: 5K (5120 x 2880 @ 60Hz), Dual Monitors: 4K (4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz)
- Ethernet Speed (Mbps): 1000, 100, 10
- Video Output: 1 x DisplayPort v1.2
- USB-C Power Delivery: Supports USB-C PD 2.0 (85W of laptop charging)
- Scratch-Resistant Bumpers
- K-Fob™ Smart Lock Technology
- LED indicators: Blue – Correct key fob, Red – Error, Green – Locked
- Compatibility:
- Only compatible with laptops equipped with Thunderbolt 3 ports; not backwards compatible
- Mac OS 10.13 or above, Windows 10
For more information or to acquire the: LD5400T Single-User Thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K Docking Station w/ K-Fob
About Kensington
Kensington is a leader in desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by organizations around the world for nearly 35 years. Kensington products empower people to be more productive and create content at the highest levels. In both desktop and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive lineup of award-winning products provide trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being.
