quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Lots of supply chain issues in tech, especially computer chip manufacturing.

I'm on month 4 waiting for a docking station from Dell. I know Toyota has reduced its global output estimates by 40% for Q4 due to lack of computer chips most of their cars need and local supplier slowdowns due to COVID. There are likely others.

Is it a very special docking station? I ordered one with my new laptop in September, it showed up in 2 weeks, which was 2 weeks before my laptop arrived, also early.

It was this one. It's on the spendy side but it's what work specs out. I wanted/needed to duplicate my work office at home so I went with their specs totally. They're saying delivery in early January if you order today and pick Express Delivery. I wouldn't recommend that. I didn't pick express delivery, but I wonder if they could honor that date when they are pushing out delivery dates in general?

Anyhow, I like the docking station. It's built like a truck and is driving a lot of stuff for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Lots of supply chain issues in tech, especially computer chip manufacturing.

I'm on month 4 waiting for a docking station from Dell. I know Toyota has reduced its global output estimates by 40% for Q4 due to lack of computer chips most of their cars need and local supplier slowdowns due to COVID. There are likely others.

Is it a very special docking station? I ordered one with my new laptop in September, it showed up in 2 weeks, which was 2 weeks before my laptop arrived, also early.

It was this one. It's on the spendy side but it's what work specs out. I wanted/needed to duplicate my work office at home so I went with their specs totally. They're saying delivery in early January if you order today and pick Express Delivery. I wouldn't recommend that. I didn't pick express delivery, but I wonder if they could honor that date when they are pushing out delivery dates in general?

Anyhow, I like the docking station. It's built like a truck and is driving a lot of stuff for me.

I’m new to docking stations; I used a USB hub on my previous laptop. New laptop only has USB-C port, and I have a lot of things to connect through there! Currently frustrated because Zoom doesn’t cooperate when I use my external webcam (internal isn’t as good) and then try to share screen with my document camera. It knows the doc cam is there (light on it blinks), but I get a black screen. My previous laptop was fine with this arrangement. And I can use doc camera as primary camera, but then students can’t see me talking.

quote:

New laptop only has USB-C port

That would be a nightmare. What kind of laptop is your new one??

sorry for the thread drift, but I will be needing new tech soon and I'm worried because of the supply chain issues. Sigh.

Back to earlier comments in this thread, in 2020 (not remembering now when) there were periods where it was very hard to get toilet paper here. I took photos of completely empty shelves which should have been filled with paper goods (paper towels, napkins as well as TP). That lasted for a long-ish time.

Now, what we see is reduction in variety in some items, and sometimes it seems like there's a more limited quantity available. But we haven't been unable to get things we need.

Well, except for a car. We probably would have bought a new car this fall, but we haven't even shopped because I don't want to buy at a bad price. I did call dealers once and all of them said they didn't have *any* new cars on the lot. That way maybe Sept., I'm not remembering. But we pretty much decided to wait at that point, so I don't know what the availability is right now.

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

quote:

New laptop only has USB-C port

That would be a nightmare. What kind of laptop is your new one??

It isn't a big deal. The new Macbooks, for example, only have USB-C ports. You just need a small hub that you keep attached. It doesn't have to cost oodles of bucks. It'll give you HDMI, USB-C, and USB-A.

Many of the ultra-thin laptops only have USB-C ports because they are thinner.

I interpreted her comment to mean that her laptop only has one port, and it's that one type.

But point taken, yes, I could carry around a hub, but it's a hassle, and "one more thing" to worry about.

For me, I carry my laptop around to different locations (including for teaching, meetings, and presentations). I plug into hdmi projectors, external monitors, or in my office, to a hub for all the externals there (keyboard, mouse, printer, monitor).

I also sometimes use a thumb drive, a usb snowball mic... and probably some other things I'm not remembering right now.

So I really don't want a laptop that only has one port or one kind of port.

I get that it's a minor inconvenience. I can't use a regular mouse (I have many) with my MacBook.

I'm just saying, it's an inconvenience, but not a deal-breaker.

USB-C on the MacBook also serves as the power source, so you can use a non-Apple power adapter (if it supplies enough power) to charge the MacBook.

You already either have to carry around a power adapter or have multiple ones at the ready in various locations, so the little hub is just one more thing.

This one is very similar to what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z...kle_mcd_asin_0_title

quote:

not a deal-breaker

It would probably be a deal breaker for me. Assuming that other options still have multiple ports of course!

quote:

Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

quote:

not a deal-breaker

It would probably be a deal breaker for me. Assuming that other options still have multiple ports of course!

It’s a Dell Ultrabook. Small, thin, light. Must have a Dock to plug everything else in, but I was using a USB hub on my old one anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Lots of supply chain issues in tech, especially computer chip manufacturing.

I'm on month 4 waiting for a docking station from Dell. I know Toyota has reduced its global output estimates by 40% for Q4 due to lack of computer chips most of their cars need and local supplier slowdowns due to COVID. There are likely others.

Is it a very special docking station? I ordered one with my new laptop in September, it showed up in 2 weeks, which was 2 weeks before my laptop arrived, also early.

It was this one. It's on the spendy side but it's what work specs out. I wanted/needed to duplicate my work office at home so I went with their specs totally. They're saying delivery in early January if you order today and pick Express Delivery. I wouldn't recommend that. I didn't pick express delivery, but I wonder if they could honor that date when they are pushing out delivery dates in general?

Anyhow, I like the docking station. It's built like a truck and is driving a lot of stuff for me.

I’m new to docking stations; I used a USB hub on my previous laptop. New laptop only has USB-C port, and I have a lot of things to connect through there! Currently frustrated because Zoom doesn’t cooperate when I use my external webcam (internal isn’t as good) and then try to share screen with my document camera. It knows the doc cam is there (light on it blinks), but I get a black screen. My previous laptop was fine with this arrangement. And I can use doc camera as primary camera, but then students can’t see me talking.

A few thoughts: Try Zoom with another browser. Zoom/Chrome won't work for me, but Zoom/Firefox is just fine. It's likely some sort of setting in Chrome but honestly I don't have time to work it out. In terms of the single port (which I think is what you have), that's another argument for getting a docking station with a reasonable amount of power, because I'm assuming you will attach some sort of port expansion to the docking station (like a doo-dad Quirt is talking about, with multiple ports). Depending on what you're attaching, things draw a lot of power. Cameras and monitors are big culprits, as are external drives. You may find that you don't have enough juice to run all the attachments you might stick on there if you get an expansion. Currently I am running three monitors, a camera, headphones, keyboard and mouse. Sometimes my phone is on there as well.

quote:

Dell Ultrabook

AdagioM, thanks! My work laptop is a Dell and I imagine the next one will be as well.

BTW I just now looked at the Dock Nina linked, I bet that's what the one in my office is.

This is all very helpful.

Despite not being about the Great Resignation...

Wait, my work laptop is a Dell Latitude 7400, I wonder if that's the older version of what Adagio has....

Hmm...

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:
Lots of supply chain issues in tech, especially computer chip manufacturing.

I'm on month 4 waiting for a docking station from Dell. I know Toyota has reduced its global output estimates by 40% for Q4 due to lack of computer chips most of their cars need and local supplier slowdowns due to COVID. There are likely others.

Is it a very special docking station? I ordered one with my new laptop in September, it showed up in 2 weeks, which was 2 weeks before my laptop arrived, also early.

It was this one. It's on the spendy side but it's what work specs out. I wanted/needed to duplicate my work office at home so I went with their specs totally. They're saying delivery in early January if you order today and pick Express Delivery. I wouldn't recommend that. I didn't pick express delivery, but I wonder if they could honor that date when they are pushing out delivery dates in general?

Anyhow, I like the docking station. It's built like a truck and is driving a lot of stuff for me.

I’m new to docking stations; I used a USB hub on my previous laptop. New laptop only has USB-C port, and I have a lot of things to connect through there! Currently frustrated because Zoom doesn’t cooperate when I use my external webcam (internal isn’t as good) and then try to share screen with my document camera. It knows the doc cam is there (light on it blinks), but I get a black screen. My previous laptop was fine with this arrangement. And I can use doc camera as primary camera, but then students can’t see me talking.

A few thoughts: Try Zoom with another browser. Zoom/Chrome won't work for me, but Zoom/Firefox is just fine. It's likely some sort of setting in Chrome but honestly I don't have time to work it out. In terms of the single port (which I think is what you have), that's another argument for getting a docking station with a reasonable amount of power, because I'm assuming you will attach some sort of port expansion to the docking station (like a doo-dad Quirt is talking about, with multiple ports). Depending on what you're attaching, things draw a lot of power. Cameras and monitors are big culprits, as are external drives. You may find that you don't have enough juice to run all the attachments you might stick on there if you get an expansion. Currently I am running three monitors, a camera, headphones, keyboard and mouse. Sometimes my phone is on there as well.

Oh, interesting. The docking station has 5 or 6 USB ports, and some are powered and some are not. I’ll try plugging the cameras into the ports with the little “lightning” icons.

SK, the new laptop is so thin that you couldn’t fit a regular usb connection in it. It came with an adapter, USB-C to USB (normal), and the expectation is hat you’d connect a dock to the whole thing.

Sorry for the thread drift, y’all! But I’m learning lots!

So am I!