Samsung’s Central Station Offers Cordless Portable Computing

Samsung Central Station automatically adjusts dual screen modes – gets wireless Internet for you, right. 

Check out my Monday Morning News Tech Untangled GlobalTV segment with co-host Mike: http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/index.html?releasePID=ar8CmeXNAH7oCEIzbh3rgPg_W4xqXPns
 

Samsung’s Central Station SyncMaster C27A750X, $646.99, is a 27-inch LED/LCD monitor with wireless written all over it. 

The only cable it needs is the power cord. It has a built-in hub which essentially hooks up to your laptop wirelessly with a brilliant 1920 x 1080 display resolution. The base, which features a unique dual-hinge stand, has two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone and 1D-Sub connections. 

Once you plug the tiny wireless connection dongle to your laptop’s USB, the Central Station takes over. After installing the connection software, you ignore your laptop’s connections and plug your extra mice, keyboard USB sticks and cameras to the Central Station hub. You now have two monitors, the laptops’ and the Central Station gorgeous 1920 x 1080 resolution. The Central Station automatically configures the resolution when connecting to the laptop.  

Instead of your laptop’s WiFi, you can get your Internet connection through the Central Station. This allows you to use your laptop with no other connections since the Central Station becomes your wireless hub. There is also a wired connection from the hub to your laptops for the fastest connection.  

You can check out the working details of the Samsung Central Station at:  

http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/office/monitors/led/LC27A750XS/ZA/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail  

Once you get your head around to how it works, the Central Station could become your way to mega screen computing with your laptop, sans cables. 

I liked the ability to quickly charge your devices via the hub’s USB and the three auto power-off eco settings.   

Does it work? Yes and no. It does everything it’s supposed to, but don’t expect smooth wireless HD movie playing on videos bigger than average quality 720p  or full screen YouTube. Connected digi-cams directly to the HDMI of the Central Station work well.  

I tried Samsung’s newest ultra thin and fast series 9 laptop and older Lenovo Tablet on Windows 7 laptops with similar results. It’s more a convenience thing for working with a second blue-ray quality screen and hub freeing your laptop of cables.  

I also found the dongle to get annoyingly hot, heating up my older laptop, but a short USB extension cord solved that.