The USB 3.0 interface is quickly becoming mainstream and product vendors are rapidly launching new devices that can take advantage of this new standard. The latest offering from Sharkoon Technologies, the SATA QuickPort Duo USB 3.0 docking station, is one such device that is USB 3.0 compatible.
The Sharkoon docking station is a dual dock, allowing two SATA hard drives to connect with a personal computer through a USB 3.0 connection. The device is capable of housing hard disks that are of the 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factor variety. The two holding chambers within the dock include separate hinges that enable the use of either a desktop or a laptop hard drive.
Some of the features of the Sharkoon docking station include LED indicator lights that display drive activity, lighting up when the drive is in use and turning off when their is no drive spinning. There are also independent power switches and eject buttons to allow for the release of the HDD from each of the chambers. Each drive chamber also includes a separate USB 3.0 connection and since it is a plug and play device, once connected to the host pc, auto detection of the drives will occur, allowing them to be subsequently accessible.
The Skarkoon offering includes a table adapter that has measurements of 132×148x72mm. Two 6-foot USB 3.0 cables are also included in the package that retails for 59.99 Euro.
