Majority of working professional have both a desktop and laptop. This article explores condensing to only a laptop with a docking station at the office when desktop type functionality is desired.

A docking station is a great way to expand the functionality and accessibility of your Laptop. Most working professionals have a desktop at work or home office and a Laptop to use in non-conventional work environments. The desktop offers the elbow room to work at a desk, quick and easy printing, use of the comfortable and conventional keyboard and mouse, extra ports, larger and dual screen capable, and desktop quality sound. Whereas, a laptop offers users wireless mobility, ability to work in unconventional spaces, lightweight and movable for easy sharing, and low power and space requirements. With both options having opposite conveniences it is easy to see why business professionals have both. Not anymore. There exists a cost effective solution to have one computer with dual capability of a comfortable desktop and a mobile laptop.

Let’s look at HP's solution; the docking station would be setup in the office and the laptop stored in your bag. For example, the HP ProBook 6360b is a great business laptop medium sized at 13.3" screen size, fast Intel dual-core processor, DVD-writer, Windows7 Pro 64-bit, up to 16 GB of memory, 320GB Hard Drive standard, extensive ports list, and a decent battery life -- MSRP starting at $809. Lets pair it with the advance docking station accessory, 90W charging power for HP ProBook b-Series with 4 USB ports, Audio and Network connectors, Audio and Ethernet ports, Line-in jack, headphone jack, PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse ports, serial and parallel ports for dual monitors -- MSRP $149.

This model has been chosen for a reason, upon investigating this solution it becomes apparent that not all docking stations are created equal and they are not compatible with all models. This particular model is the most inexpensive business class HP laptop with a fully functional docking station, there are lower end business laptop models with a docking station but they do not charge the laptop, support dual monitoring nor have many port options. When selecting Manufacturer and models for this solution it is important to talk to a professional to ensure you are getting all the functionality desired.