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Motorola Atrix Lapdock and HD Dock video review
#231 | 7:02 |
Monday April 25, 2011
Gadget TV
Monday April 25, 2011
In the last episode, we reviewed the Motorola Atrix. A powerful smartphone with a bit of a difference. Now, we take a look at the Webtop accessories that set the Atrix apart. The Lapdock is a small, thin and light laptop-style dock for the Atrix that unlocks full-screen Android on the Lapdock's 11.5-inch screen (with pixel doubling, natch). It's also got a full Firefox web browser, a media interface and... well, that's it. It's a super cool concept and the hardware feels super solid and is nice and light, but there's just too much working against to justify the over $300 price tag. At $60, the HD Multimedia Dock is a more compelling offering, allowing you to easily get your media displaying on your HDTV in full high-def.
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iTunes Show Notes
Motorola Lapdock
~$330
Motorola HD Multimedia Dock
~$60
The Lapdock is effectively a thin client. It has no computing power of its own. Rather, it has a battery, an 11.5-inch screen, a couple of USB ports and stereo speakers as well as the minimal circuitry required to make them run. However, the Atrix smartphone that we looked at in the previous episode of Gadget TV is what runs the show. The dual-core Atrix effectively becomes the CPU for this mobile computing experience.
The Lapdock is an innovative and interesting idea. It unlocks a full keyboard, a larger view on your phone's screen and a full Firefox web browser. As cool as it is though, it's just not enough when you consider the price: $330 with special pricing or up to $500 without. i.e. on par with a full netbook that while heavier, does a lot more. A lot more. Also, Firefox seems like a weird choice for a browser on this device. We'd have much rather seen Chrome with its excellent support for web apps and overall smaller memory footprint.
Lapdock, closed:
The Lapdock weighs nothing. It's thinner than the current Macbook Air, though with a larger footprint (and screen). It has but three inputs: two USB ports and one power port. Flip open the dock at the back of the Lapdock and you reveal the spot where you'll dock your Atrix.
Lapdock, open:
The screen is the star of the show. The battery pack in the Lapdock charges your phone and allows for many hours of uptime while unplugged. We've been using it off and on for several and have yet to diminish the battery past one bar.
Lapdock keyboard:
The keyboard, probably the most important part of a device like this, is unfortunately lacklustre. It beats typing on an on-screen keyboard, but it's cramped and has an awkward layout.
~$330
Motorola HD Multimedia Dock
~$60
The Lapdock is effectively a thin client. It has no computing power of its own. Rather, it has a battery, an 11.5-inch screen, a couple of USB ports and stereo speakers as well as the minimal circuitry required to make them run. However, the Atrix smartphone that we looked at in the previous episode of Gadget TV is what runs the show. The dual-core Atrix effectively becomes the CPU for this mobile computing experience.
The Lapdock is an innovative and interesting idea. It unlocks a full keyboard, a larger view on your phone's screen and a full Firefox web browser. As cool as it is though, it's just not enough when you consider the price: $330 with special pricing or up to $500 without. i.e. on par with a full netbook that while heavier, does a lot more. A lot more. Also, Firefox seems like a weird choice for a browser on this device. We'd have much rather seen Chrome with its excellent support for web apps and overall smaller memory footprint.
Lapdock, closed:
The Lapdock weighs nothing. It's thinner than the current Macbook Air, though with a larger footprint (and screen). It has but three inputs: two USB ports and one power port. Flip open the dock at the back of the Lapdock and you reveal the spot where you'll dock your Atrix.
Lapdock, open:
The screen is the star of the show. The battery pack in the Lapdock charges your phone and allows for many hours of uptime while unplugged. We've been using it off and on for several and have yet to diminish the battery past one bar.
Lapdock keyboard:
The keyboard, probably the most important part of a device like this, is unfortunately lacklustre. It beats typing on an on-screen keyboard, but it's cramped and has an awkward layout.
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