HP Gets Docking Stations Right with the xb3000 Expansion Base for HP Notebook Computers

The HP XB3000 expansion base docking station has an unique notebook to station connection design with a secure and clearly established port connection between the notebook and the docking station; this new design offers an excellent improvement over the typical bottom or back connections between notebook and docking station. With the XB3000’s cable port connection securely connected to the side of the notebook, you know you have a complete connection because it clicks in place and is clearly visible at the top side of the notebook. This eliminates the common bottom- or back connection design that often comes lose and leaves you not knowing if the computer is fully connected. Kudos to HP for this new approach redesigning how dockings stations connect to both simplify and improve functionality.

The xb3000 Notebook Expansion Base from Hewlett-Packard is a port replicator and desktop stand for HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario notebook computers. The stand includes a wireless keyboard and mouse and allows you to raise your notebook's screen to eye level. It also features integrated speakers that provide better quality sound than those in your laptop, but with little improvement in volume. The xb3000 Notebook Expansion Base is compatible with most of the current HP model notebooks, listing the dv2000, dv6000, Presario V3000 and V6000 as common. We use it with our TX1110us model; the TX models are not always listed as compatible and I recommend that you check for updated compatibility information before concluding that you can or can not use a particular notebook with the XB3000..

At nearly 11 pounds, the HP XB3000 weighs more than the typical docking station, and this too I believe is a new design approach. The base has to outweigh the notebook you put into it in order to be fully stable, thus the 11 pounds. Instead of clipping the notebook to a flat docking port that in the typical design means connecting on the bottom or back of the notebook, with the XB3000 you place the notebook into an angled cradle where the front bottom of the notebook is cushioned and cradled with the open screen angled upwards for you to view the screen. The desktop stand raises your notebook's screen to eye level. This is more ergonomically sound and can help to reduce the neck and back strain that can come when working on your computer for longer periods of time.

The XB3000 comes with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, that transmit to a receiver that plugs into one of the many USB ports on the station. The wireless design let you more easily work with your computer. Wireless connectivity lets you more easily work on your computer; you can even put your keyboard on your lap without having to worry about tangled cables. The typical docking station uses wired connections that can pull loose.

Along the back and side of the docking station, you will find 6 high speed USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, S-video, component and composite video output, S/PDIF audio output and a VGA output. There is an expansion bay where you can insert a hard drive; HP sells a 300 GB drive but I suspect that any brand will work; but check with tech support first. I am looking forward to putting a hard drive in the expansion bay to give us the ability to back up files from the notebook; in fact, my hope is that I can load some mirroring software to automatically back up files while the computer is in the station. With all the output ports, you no longer have to connect hardware to the notebook directly, you just make one single connection from the xb3000 to the notebook and everything is ready to go – printer, external hard drives, desktop LCD large screen, etc. You can then take the notebook in and out for portable use as needed, quickly and simply, or keep it in the station and use the wireless keyboard and mouse to move around the room.

When you connect your notebook to the base station, the notebook and station light up, indicating AC power is running. From the front of the unit you can adjust your sound, and the power button on the front of the base lets you put the notebook into hibernate. You can even use the notebook keyboard by adjusting the angle of the base; I have not found that approach to be comfortable with our model notebook which is one of the smallest on the market, with a 12 inch screen. But if you have one of the larger 15 to 17 inch notebooks with a larger keyboard, you may find that using the notebook keyboard while in the docking station is comfortable. Given the $249 list price, you should definitely test drive the station at the store with your specific notebook if you can.

The HP xb3000 powers up using the AC Adapter included with your notebook; no separate AC adapter is included with this unit but there are many eBay sellers who can get you the correct AC adaptor for under $30, or you can as I did, buy the unit from an eBay reseller with an AC adaptor included; having the spare AC adapter is the only way to go, I could not imagine having to connect and disconnect the adapter anytime I needed to take the notebook out of the home and have a power source should my battery run down.

We bought our xb3000 on eBay for $146 including shipping and the spare AC adaptor. The sale was listed as a new open box unit and we found that to be accurate. HP technical support registered the serial number with no issues, and provides answers with minimal hold time; so far we’ve made 3 calls between the new notebook and the docking station use to clarify a few items, we have not had any performance problems. If you are buying from eBay, you can buy an extended warranty from SquareTrade at low cost – a 2 year warranty for our unit was $19.79.

I have used docking stations at my job for years, and found them to be a bit awkward and cumbersome particularly because of the need to firmly dock the notebook and sometimes re-connect several times to establish a full connection; this made taking the computer in and out of the station a hassle. The xb3000 design eliminates this concern since to take the computer in and out, we need only unclip the single side mounted cable, which can be done either while the computer is in the station, or by lifting it out of the station and then disconnecting. This feature makes us more prone to take the notebook in and out of the station, which is exactly what having a docking station is all about. Having the notebook fully charged and ready to go at all times, but also putting the ware and tare on a keyboard rather than on the notebook keyboard, is great.