Month: June 2022

The Alogic Thunderbolt 4 Blaze Docking Station is an 11-port docking station that boasts the latest Thunderbolt 4 connectivity standard and a generous selection of ports.

Buying Thunderbolt 4 now makes sense even if your current laptop is Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C, as it is both the latest technology and backwards compatible.

Using a dock, you add a bunch of useful ports to a laptop with just one cable connection, and at a potential 40Gbps.

Specs and features
One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 96W)
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W)
Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 5.5W)
One USB-A port (480MBps, 7.5W)
Gigabit Ethernet
UHS-II SD Card reader (320MBps)
3.5mm audio jack
135W power supply
The 10 ports plus one upstream Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) port to the laptop should offer most of what you’ll need.

That upstream TB4 port can charge a laptop at an impressive 96W, which is one of the highest-rated charging docks we have tested. The overall power coming into the dock is 135W so there’s plenty available for charging other connected devices, although not enough for all to be charging at maximum capacity if the laptop is drawing full power at the same time.

Gigabit Ethernet means you can dodge flaky Wi-Fi with a strong wired Internet connection to your laptop.

The four USB-A ports should be all you’ll need for connecting older devices such as memory sticks, wired mouse and keyboard, printers and storage devices.

The front-mounted USB-A port is not for data transfer, being merely USB 2.0 that manages just 480MBps, but the three USB-A ports at the back are USB 3.2 and are racy at 10Gbps each.

The lack of a display port might confuse some buyers, but this is the way most docking stations are built these days.

Instead of an HDMI or DisplayPort connector, you use the TB4 ports to attach external displays.

You can connect these directly to a display that has a USB-C port or use an adapter for other monitors; for example, a USB-C-to-HDMI adapter. The only Thunderbolt 4 docking station we’ve seen with actual display ports is the Anker Apex Thunderbolt 4 Dock.

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Razer is a popular hardware manufacturer for hardcore gaming and esports players.

Its Chroma RGB proprietary RGB lighting technology lights up when in use, so its users probably work and play mostly in the dark to take full advantage of the changing colours coming from their glowing Razer PCs, laptops and peripherals.

The Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma is a fully fledged docking station with 10 ports, including the latest Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 connectivity standards.

Use it to instantly add these ports to your laptop so you can have a full desktop experience with your portable computer.

Specs and features
• One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 90W) • Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps) • Three USB-A ports (10Gbps) • Gigabit Ethernet • UHS-II SD Card reader (320MBps) • 3.5mm audio jack • 135W power supply

The Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock has one upstream Thunderbolt 4/USB4 port to connect to your computer, and three downstream Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports to connect other devices, including external displays.

These are rated at Thunderbolt 4’s 40Gbps bandwidth and can charge devices at 15W each. The upstream port can charge a connected laptop at up to 90W, which is enough for most large laptops.

You can connect displays directly if they have a USB-C connection. Otherwise, you’ll require either a USB-C-to-HDMI or USB-C-to-DisplayPort adapter (not included) to connect to the TB4 ports.

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The Acer Aspire Vero has admirable green credentials, modest price, everyday performance and decent battery life. However, its display, keyboard and build quality are lacking

The Acer Aspire Vero takes a markedly different approach to most other laptops on the market – because it focusses on its environmental credentials ahead of other factors, like price or performance.

Acer makes a big deal about the Vero’s (the AV15-51) recycled materials, for instance, and the firm claims that the box works as a laptop stand after you’ve removed the machine.

Sustainability is a big subject that’ll inevitably become bigger, so we won’t be surprised if more laptops make more noise in this area – but Acer is one of the first to take the initiative.

The model we’ve reviewed is the more affordable Core i5 specification, and it costs £649 in the UK and $699 in the US – so it’s not particularly expensive. Is the Vero a good laptop and good for the environment, though, or does this green machine suffer in real-world use?

Design & Build
Impressive green credentials
Divisive, paint-free aesthetic
Good connectivity, but relatively thick and heavy
Much of the Acer Aspire Vero’s body uses PCR, or Post-Consumer Recycled material, and Acer is quick to boast about the amount of second-hand stuff inside this notebook. The chassis and screen bezel use 30% recycled hardware, and the screen and keycaps use 99% and 50% recycled material respectively.

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Now that Thunderbolt 4 is here and starting to ship on premium laptops, it’s important that your docking station is certified to this latest connection standard.

OWC’s Thunderbolt Dock is fully certified for Thunderbolt 4 and its close cousin USB4, and boasts 11 extra ports for your connected computer.

Specs and features

One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 90W)
Three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W)
Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz)
Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W)
One USB-A port (480Mbps, 7.5W)
SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II)
Gigabit Ethernet port
Front-facing 3.5mm Audio In & Out port
135W power supply
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock loves Thunderbolt 4 so much that it includes four 40Gbps TB4 ports; one upstream port to connect to the host computer and three downstream ports to connect to other USB-C/TB3/TB4 devices and displays.

This is the maximum number of TB4 ports any one device can support. Thunderbolt 3 was limited to just two, so even TB3 users will prefer the new connector if they require multiple Thunderbolt or USB-C devices.

Unlike with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks, there are no DisplayPort or HDMI ports on the Thunderbolt Dock. Instead, OWC gives you the choice of display connector. USB-C monitors can be connected directly, but you’ll need a USB-C-to-HDMI or USB-C-to-DisplayPort adapter for non-USB-C displays.

This could mean extra expense, but it does give you more flexibility than having to find a docking station with whichever DisplayPort/HDMI port your monitor has, and is actually better if you have two screens each with its own display type.

An alternative approach is seen with the Anker Apex Thunderbolt 4 Dock, which has just one downstream TB4 port but two HDMI 2.0 ports for direct display connections.

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Samsung returns with a budget-friendly Chromebook. Will the Galaxy Chromebook Go have enough to disrupt the opposition?

Samsung pulled out of the laptop market in Europe a little while back, which was a shame as I often found their products to be very good. Now, the Korean company is back in the UK (and USA) with a brand new affordable Chromebook.

So, is it a triumphant return? Here’s the full Tech Advisor review of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go.

Design & Build
While the name might be a little too close to Google’s Pixelbook Go, the price and reduced specs show that Samsung isn’t quite taking aim at that particular model, but rather offering a simple and affordable Chromebook that should appeal to most people.

The plastic casing means that the device is reasonably lightweight (coming in at 1.45kg/3.2lbs), but you wouldn’t want to drop it too many times. Although, Samsung does state that the device has passed several MIL-STD-810G tests, so it could be tougher than it looks.

Silver is the livery of choice here, with the colourful Chrome logo adorning the top corner of the lid, which I have to say is a little more cheery than the monochrome version that’s becoming the norm across Chromebooks in the past year.

Turning the device over reveals twin speakers, while the flanks are home to a range of ports that include two USB-C, one USB-A (3.2), microSD card reader, a Nano Security Slot (think Kensington Lock), headphone jack and a SIM card tray. The latter is probably one of the main reasons for the ‘Go’ part of the name.

Opening up the laptop reveals the 14in display with a webcam sitting above it. The display is surrounded by a textured plastic casing that looks a little cheap, and this motif continues to the keyboard & trackpad surround and keys themselves.

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