Review: Verbatim 13-in-1 Docking Station

Not that many years ago, if it was suggested I would need more than 4 USB ports on a PC, I’d be thinking you were a little bit bonkers.

What for? A mouse and a printer were all you needed to connect via USB. What would the rest be for? The keyboard had its own PS2 port, the modem went to the RS232 port and the monitor went to the VGA port.

Q.E.D.

Fast forward to today and I just counted the number of USB devices I have connected to my daily use desktop computer and it staggered me.

Yes 25!

There are wireless dongles for the mouse and keyboard, the Loupedeck CT, Contour Shuttle Pro, DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor, headset / mic for Dragon Dictate and Skype, 3 mics for interviews / podcasts, Logitech camera, Elgato camera 10Terabye external drive, 3D printer, Epson printer a Nektar synthesiser keyboard, 2 GoPros on permanent power and the rest are dongles for things I can’t remember but probably software unlockers.

I also run 3 monitors, a Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro and the 3D printer use network ports, there are two 3.5mm connected audio mics – shall I keep going?

OK, I may be a bit of an extreme case, but the point I am making here is that these days, we all need more connectivity than the base computer gives, and this is especially true of laptops.

Thankfully, the boffins-in-charge who gave us USB-C invented a clever little plug indeed. If you take the time to look up the technical specifications of USB-C, you’ll find it is a LOT more than just a connector for “stuff”. This is why, despite Apple’s chagrin, it has become a universal standard.

Moving right along then, let me introduce you to the Verbatim 13-in-1 Type C Docking Station.

This gun metal grey box with rounded corners and bevelled edges contains – deep breath:

5mm audio port
2 x Type C 5Gbps data transfer ports
3 USB-A 3.0 5Gbps transfer ports
SD card reader
Micro SD card reader
70W USB-C 3 charging port
VGA port
2 HDMI output ports
RJ 45 network port

… and a Kensington Lock Hole.

So, external connectivity is not an issue any more.

If you have a laptop this device is almost a must I’d suggest.

For me, the fact you can run up to 3 external monitors makes it worthwhile alone. The card readers for my ‘big’ cameras as well as the GoPros and my DJI Air2S, Mini 3 Pro and Avata drones are a bonus.

The 70W port means there is enough electricities to charge your laptop and drive everything else too by the way, unless you have a stonking big beast that draws a LOT of power.

The super clever thing, and I admit at the start I had difficulty getting my head around this concept, was all you need to do to connect it to a laptop (or PC), is use a single USB-C port. Once your devices are plugged into the Verbatim 13-in-1, your OS (Windows or Mac) will “see” them and let you configure accordingly.

Some may say at $399 it’s not cheap; I’d say at $399, the additional functionality you’ll get either at your desk or on the road, it’s a bargain.

The only gripe I have about the Verbatim 13-in1 Type C Docking Station is the shape. I prefer a clean rectangular black box without rounded corners or bevelled edges.

But that’s just me.

For more info and all the techie specs such as what combo of monitor resolutions you can have, see https://www.verbatim.com.au/products/type-c-docking-station-13-in-1/