[nfbcs] PC's with a serial port

[David Andrews]

A docking station is something that you connect a lap too, and it 
gives you additional ports/options, power, standard keyboard, 
monitors, storage etc.  With the development and widespread use of 
USB, they probably aren't as necessary.  Back in the 90's I used one 
at work, could slip laptop into it, and it became desktop with large 
monitor, standard keyboard, network connection, floppy drive, 
etdc.  I could then remove it, easily, and it was a laptop for going 
on the road.

Dave

At 07:33 AM 1/30/2014, you wrote:
>What's a docking station? I only heard of them as something to 
>connect the ipod to.
>This is much more complicated than I thought.  Too much for an old 
>mainframe programmer.
>Tracy
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Louis Maher" <ljmaher at swbell.net>
>To: "'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List'" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 6:26 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfbcs] PC's with a serial port
>
>
>>Another idea is to use a docking station which might give you access to
>>serial and parallel ports buried inside your pc and not showing on the
>>outside case.
>>
>>
>>Regards
>>Louis Maher
>>Phone 713-444-7838
>>E-mail ljmaher at swbell.net
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
>>Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 4:08 PM
>>To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [nfbcs] PC's with a serial port
>>
>>While there doesn't seem to be a sure fire way to know if a given USB to
>>serial adapter will work with a given device, consensus seems to be that
>>ones using the FTDI chip fare best.
>>--
>>Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>>On Jan 29, 2014, at 4:53 PM, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Serial ports are no longer standard, and some USB to Serial adapters work
>>with some devices, and some don't and there doesn't seem to be a way to know
>>in advance.
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>
>>>At 01:07 PM 1/29/2014, you wrote:
>>>>I'm looking around for a new desktop.  I am using an older Alva braille
>>display, which runs off a serial port.  I am having trouble identifying if a
>>PC I'm interested in has a serial port or not.  Sometimes it's in the
>>technical specs, and sometimes not.
>>>>Is a serial port no longer standard?  Does the USB to serial adapter work
>>just as well, or is it slower at passing data through?
>>>>Would anyone care to recommend a desktop, or a place to look?  I've been
>>looking at Amazon and TigerDirect.  I tried NewEgg, but didn't see much I
>>fancied.
>>>>Thanks.
>>>>Tracy