May 4 2008
BookEndz Docking Station
The BookEndz are docking stations for the Mac laptops. They are available for quite a few different models including the MacBook Pros, MacBooks, and Powerbooks. I had the chance to test the 17″ MacBook Pro model. It has connecters for all the ports on the laptop, and a special area for the MagSafe power adapter.
Setting up the BookEndz is very easy; just plug in all your accessories to the back of the BoodEndz, and place your laptop in, sliding the sides into the ports of your laptop. There was one surprising thing though when I read through the manual–it instructs to shut down the computer before connecting to or disconnecting from the BookEndz. In my testing, it worked perfectly without shutting down my MacBook Pro to connect and disconnect the BookEndz. I talked to the support department at BookEndz and I was told that I should follow the directions in the manual. I see this issue as a major flaw.
The BookEndz are very well built, as I would expect for this high price point. It is very solid and I would have no concerns about build quality. Considering this product is for the Apple laptops, I would assume that BookEndz would try to match and compliment Apple’s design. In my view, this product does not do wonders from a design perspective, with quite bulky sides and back. It also is too big to use on a laptop stand like the Griffin Elevator.
The largest flaw with the BookEndz are the price. The 17″ MacBook Pro model, which I was testing retails at USD$319.95. They are a little more reasonably priced for the MacBooks, at USD$159.
This product successfully fulfills the advertised description, and overall is very good. It has a few design flaws that should be worked out, but for those looking for a dock for their Apple laptop, I would suggest looking at the BookEndz.
Product Info:
Name: BookEndz Docking Station for 17″ MacBook Pro
Price: USD$319.95
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