Ultrabase or the new USB Port Replicator w/ Digital Video for X200 / X200S?

I would like to use an external wireless keyboard/mouse combo, and an external monitor with my X200.

It appears that my options are the Thinkpad Ultrabase or the newly released USB Port Replicator with Digital Video (45K1610).

See
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/....workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=45K1610

and
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/....workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=43R8781

Can somebody please advise me on the differences between these two? Can I really use the new USB Port Replicator for my purposes?

Thanks very much

 

Well, depends what you need.

For the USB port replicator, you are basically getting USB hub, where you share 4xUSB, monitor data and 10/100mbit network. It should work, but its performance will be slow (mainly if you want to connect both monitor and external harddrive, CD, etc). For mouse, keyboard and monitor should be fine; however the speed of graphics (=how fast the data flow from base unit to monitor) will be slow; possibly sufficient for office work. I'm not sure about movies/games.

X200 Ultrabase gives you full-speed DisplayLink/VGA, full-speed 1gbit ethernet, 4x USB and possibly external CD/DVD drive. It is also nicely attached to the X200 (even battery-powered); though making it bulky.

 

the ultrabase on the x200 also have the displayport in addition to the vga out port.