Laptops
Docking connectors for laptop computers are usually embedded into a mechanical device that supports and aligns the laptop and sports various single function ports and a power source that are aggregated into the docking connector. Early docking connectors would carry keyboard, serial, parallel, and video ports from the laptop and supply power to it. Often these ports were available on the laptop itself, giving rise to the term "port replicator" for simpler docks. More complicated docks are usually termed docking stations, but both will have some sort of docking connector. As laptop interfaces evolved, so did the functions carried by the dock connector. The keyboard and serial ports changed to PS/2 connector for the keyboard and mouse. Now, USB is almost universal and DVI is common. eSATA and FireWire ports are also carried through the docking connector.
Read more about this topic: Dock Connector