Targus USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station, PC/Mac/Windows 8-Tablet/Netbook Compatible (ACP70USZ)..
Special Price Targus USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Dual Video Docking Station, PC/Mac/Windows 8-Tablet/Netbook Compatible (ACP70USZ) By Targus
Most helpful customer reviews
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
By MikeBaz
This is at least the second Targus USB 3.0 dock. (There was an ACP-70US - without the "Z" - and before that there was at least one USB 2.0 version of the same basic thing.) I purchased the non-Z version at a local store, and had a lot of trouble with stability of the dock, so I brought it back and bought this newer version.
It is still an unstable product, even with the current (Jan., 2013) firmware and drivers. The audio out dropped more than once a day, so I eventually stopped trying to use it and now plug the speakers into the machine (a Surface Pro) when the dock is being used, ignoring the on-dock audio completely.
And then, about once a day, the dock just "checks out". The hardware is still there, but it's nonresponsive - any peripherals attached aren't really available. The more common case of this is the monitors connected (I'm using both ports) just get frozen with whatever they had, the USB devices slowly drop out (e. g. mouse and keyboard work, but then at some point stop), etc. To fix this you have to unplug the dock from the computer, unplug the power (which at the dock is annoying, because the plug has a sliding, locking connector), plug the power back in, and connect to the computer. Then you're good for another... day if you're lucky.
I am very close to returning this unit and trying a different manufacturer's one at this point. The only thing stopping me right now is the fear that since all of these dual-display docks are basically the same guts (DisplayLink), that I'd be swapping one broken unit for another.
UPDATE IN APRIL, 2013: The very recent April driver update (7.1) has made a substantial difference. I've now gone nearly a week without the sound dropping or the Ethernet dropping. I see other posts about people having the exact same issues I was having, especially the Ethernet. I don't know if the updated drivers would help them, but it helped me. We'll need to see if it's a long term fix but so far at least, it's much better.
Also this is on Windows 8 - I should have said that before. Very specifically it's on a Surface Pro.
UPDATE APRIL 18: The drivers are not perfect still - I have had one drop of the Ethernet earlier this week after all, and just now, a loss of the sound. And there seems to be a new issue with this driver release around performance on the displays - the mouse cursor and scrolling are "jumpy" and that was not the case before. So it's still a work in progress even after all this time. So I am still waiting on DisplayLink to continue their improvements. The device works well enough at this point to not bother sending it back, and DisplayLink powers all of the other devices of this type so it's not like there's a choice around it even if I did send it back. That said I've dropped the rating back because it's a little silly that after all this time there are still issues around it.
I should also mention you CAN'T currently find the updated drivers on the Targus site - I just checked. They are at the DisplayLink site (7.2M0 released April 3, 2013).
UPDATE JUNE 18: The May 2013 drivers are better still. Biggest remaining issue is sound dropping every so often.
UPDATE AUGUST 30: The 7.4M0 drivers (from DisplayLink - Targus still has 7.3M1) seemed better, but audio dropout seemed to get much worse. I ended up completely uninstalling them (after unplugging the dock), rebooting, installing 7.3M1, connecting the dock, waiting for the hardware update and driver load (note: I don't remember seeing the update during an upgrade - that could be a UI issue or an actual installer bug, I don't know), confirming everything was working, disconnecting the dock, uninstalling fully again, rebooting, installing 7.4M0, connecting the dock (again including a hardware update), and then everything was happy for now. We'll see how stable it is. I've dropped my rating because this is a bit ridiculous, not having a reliable driver after all this time.
UPDATE DECEMBER 5: Even at 7.4M2 I'm still seeing the dropouts of audio. I did find a better way to fix it: (1) right-click volume icon in notification area (2) choose "Playback devices" (3) right-click "Speakers - Targus USB Audio" and choose "Properties" (4) change to the Enhancements tab (5) Change any of the enhancement checkboxes, click Apply, then change it back, and click Apply. [The change back isn't necessary but leaves you how you started.] Changing this setting seems to force the driver to sort itself out.
55 of 61 people found the following review helpful.
By Tyler Pomerhn
I'm not certain why so many others are having issues with this dock. I bought two (one for work, one for home).
Unboxed one, plugged GigE, some USB2.0 peripherals, and two 1920x1080 displays into the device, powered it up, and plugged it into the USB3.0 port on my Asus G74SX. The laptop detected the hub, but had very few of the components working. After inserting the driver CD that came with the unit and installing the drivers, the GigE port lit up and ran at 1Gbps, the USB2.0 fired up, everything worked but the dual external monitors. However, I waited about five minutes and the monitors suddenly engaged at the full 1920x1080 FullHD resolution.
Subsequent plug-ins to either of the docks worked flawlessly. A software update popped up with Windows Update a week later, with many updates for the dock; one of the biggest was for the DisplayPort software, which is software that extends video through the USB port. Technically, my NVidia GPU on the Asus doesn't see these monitors as external displays, so theoretically I could run with more than three screens. I tested and was able to run the GigE port to transfer files, while I was watching a 1080p video on one external display through the dock and another external display running YouTube, all while running apps on the laptop's main screen.
In short, This device was about as plug-and-play as can be, and that's saying something - I've been in the industry for 15+ years, and rarely had anything be so stunningly transparent, easy to use, and functional. I run with three displays (two external plus the laptop's own screen), GigE, and other peripherals all with a single USB cable.
My advice for others who might have problems - check your drivers, both on the software for the dock and for your own USB3.0 controller. I would wager that 90% of the issues are related to the laptop's own USB drivers, or perhaps running a set of screens at non-standard resolutions (though my work external screens are 1920x1080, which is standard, and my home screens are 1920x1200, and the docks have no issues switching between the resolutions, even when resuming from sleep), or running with outdated software. Maybe the 64-bit drivers are better than their 32-bit cousins. I dunno.
Bottom line? If there is some form of incompatibility, then you'll probably hate it. And let's be real, folks, it's been out a whole three or so months. But for those of us who need a docking solution that is easy to use and ubiquitous across manufacturers, and the drivers work, this is an EXCELLENT device.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
By B. Roldan
I've been using the Targus docking station for 3 months now with no problems. I've tested it with a Sony Vaio and Dell XPS, both performed flawlessly when I installed the latest drivers. I've used dual monitor and single monitor configurations with no problem.
Here is the biggest failing with the product. If you happen to lose your power supply, like I did on a recent business trip, you are out of luck. Targus WILL NOT sell you a replacement power supply. I tried mightily to convince their support team, but to no avail. Their solution to my problem? Go buy another Targus docking station... now I can have a spare docking station with my new power supply!
This decision by Targus is a major oversight in customer support, and so my total experience with the product goes from 5 stars down to 3.
I've had no functional problems with this. Everything hooked up fine. I am running Windows 8.1 and have had no issues. It works like a charm.
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