Laptops with fully functional docks available (a la Sony Z series)

[exi]

For lack of a better place to post this, I'm curious as to what machines have fully functional docks available.

When I say "fully functional", I mean one which integrates into the docking port on the bottom of the machine to automatically -- in one fell swoop -- extend its USB ports, provide VGA / HDMI output, audio output, a power plug, everything. Or at least as close to that as possible.

I formerly had a Sony Z which was capable of this.

My (possibly faulty) understanding is that most laptops must rely on hit-or-miss third-party docks. If I'm not going to have a desktop at home since I kind of need to keep a laptop for what I do, then I'd be interested in ways to simply take it out of its sleeve and plop it down on a desk and -- voilà -- have a desktop.

I can sort out specs from there; just wondering about the dock part.

[Azulle]

I know that my Lenovo T61 had a dock that is similar (minus the HDMI) to what you are asking. I believe that they still have them for the newer models.

Google: ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 for Mobile Workstations

[ericpeers]

My dell latitude d830 has a dock. I've been shopping for a newer model, and the new latitudes (core i7) have docking capability. It depends on the model - the 14/15" ones seem to be dockable. The 17" studio line does not.

[zer0sum]

Just came across a pretty damn cool vertical dock for unibody Mac's

http://www.hengedocks.com

[exi]

Just came across a pretty damn cool vertical dock for unibody Mac's

http://www.hengedocks.com

Oh man, very cool. How I missed that even though I read Engadget via RSS -- and they just covered it -- I have no idea.

Do want. I've got an old 23" Samsung panel sitting around, doing nothing; surely the 9400 M can output 1920x1080.

[chris-m]

That looks fantastic -- but it can't be good for heat dissipation. At all.

[exi]

That looks fantastic -- but it can't be good for heat dissipation. At all.

Right, you would think, but there are two things in its favor: one, the company has been posting in the Engadget comments I linked above and saying that their own experience has been that heat is negligible compared to being open, and two, Apple has a support page for operation with the lid closed and makes no mention to heat.

I dunno, I can see this being okay.