ThinkPad Docks, are they worth it?

I have a ThinkPad e14 its a great machine, don't get me wrong I still absolutely adore my x220 Thinkpad(s) - for their age they still offer a lot by way of normal day to day use, especially so when used with the flexibility a dock offers. Fortunately x220 Docks are pretty cheap these days, the more modern docks like the ThinkPad USB-C Gen2 dock are priced in the region of ~£220 or so, that's a huge percentage of the value of a Thinkpad like the e14 that cost around £900 just a year ago. 

Earlier this year I perceived that cost-value ratio to be too high, so when I decided to move to a desktop/docked ThinkPad combination I dismissed the idea of getting one and got a third party dock instead.

I got this dock:

Its a pretty cool dock, features a ver1.2 capable DisplayPort , 2x HDMI, 3 x USB3 ports 2x USB2 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x 3.5mm CTIA audio, SD/TF card reader and a USB-C Power Delivery port (100watts supported). 

Overall this thing worked well and was pretty sweet as a ~£35 investment

but it also had a a couple of caveats...

 

There were 2 surprisingly odd things that just annoyed me a bit too much.

1. While Windows would actually switch the dock off at shutdown (including my keyboard and mouse lights) in Debian no such luck, it kept power active to both peripherals, tried that I may I could not solve the issue and ended up having to boot into windows to shutdown properly... 
2. It has no power button, so I ended up having to open my laptop lid on  regular basis to get access to the turn the set up on (yeah I know..)

While these issues are minor/petty I found them a little too annoying so considering it was February and like most folks in the UK will realise, CouncilTax is not payable in either Feb or March if you pay over 10 months (link supplied for folks outside the UK)  

This meant I could possibly consider an official Dock... and by possibly I mean yup, I bought one of these

It's a (second user) Lenovo ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 Dock model 40AS0090UK.

It features 2 x ver 1.4 capable DisplayPorts, 1x HDMI, 2 x USB3.1 gen2 10Gbps ports, 1x 'always on' USB3.1 gen2 10Gbps port  2x USB2 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, security lock slot, and a3.5mm headphone socket (4pole), and best of all a freekin power button!

 

 

This dock retails at between £210 to £220 as seen in the image to the right.

However I am fairly well known as being a bit of a cheapskate (I prefer 'value orientated').

So I started to look about, I found the same dock in 'good used condition' for £110 on eBay but the postage was 3 days, by now I had reached the point at which "I needed this thing yesterday"

So I took a look on Amazon, amazingly I found the same seller offering the dock there too, but at £114, I had a promotional credit balance on my account and purchased it for £102 with 'free' next day prime delivery. 

So I did the only sensible thing , and bought it. 

 

It came with not just the Dock, but an official 90 watt power supply and a USB-C to USB-C cable for the only connection to the Thinkpad itself, the cable is an official Lenovo cable for the job and feels better than the rather stiff cable attached to the Abiwazy which is a good thing when considering wear

 

 

After I connected the dock, I pressed the dock's power button and booted up my Debian install, and all worked as it should, oddly the laptop feels more performant and the display looks even better now (probably just the placebo effect) 

I then shut my Debian install down....

And everything powered off!! EVERYTHING!

I then Booted into my Windows install, where within moments the Lenovo advantage app advised me there were updates for the dock! new firmware, USB3 and audio drivers!

After about 10 fretful minutes of firmware updating (you know what I mean, right?), the laptop requested to be rebooted so the dock could do likewise, I agreed and it all went smoothly.

So in summary, the Abiwazy is a very good very capable piece of kit with excellent connectivity and if you are looking for a lower cost DP-AltMode compatible dock go for it its a good thing, however...

If you have a ThinkPad, don't scrimp on the dock get an official one, even if its a second hand one like mine. 

Thank you for reading this, its appreciated, if you want to comment or continue the conversation, I am available over on the Fediverse (think Mastodon, Pleroma, Funkwale, Misskey, Hubzilla and others) so give me a shout or a follow 

This is now my third post using Publii, I quite like it, although I am yet to feel it is the best choice. I may end up carrying out some A/B comparisons with Bludit, self hosted Writefreely or other blogging software. 

Come and find me in the Fediverse and tell me what you use or would use. 

For now , thank you kindly for your time.