Abstract: A docking station for use with a portable electronic device and a docking system including such a docking station. The docking station includes a stand alone body that is configured to receive a complementary portable electronic device and includes support electronics therefor. The stand alone body is preferably further configured to define a generally transverse pass through opening of sufficient dimension to permit a security implement to be passed wholly through said body.

Abstract: A pointing device includes ergonomic buttons which wrap around the device's cursor control mechanism. Each button extends along at least two sides of the cursor control mechanism. Corner junctions make the buttons easy to recognize by touch. One button is C-shaped, another backward-C-shaped. The cursor control mechanism includes a touchpad or a post and a "wobble" plate. The post serves as a pivot point for the plate and responds to directional pressure. A user adjusts the planar orientation of the plate to define a directional pressure applied to the post. A user is able to apply multi-fingered leveraged guidance. A second cursor control mechanism is defined by an erasure-head device. The erasure-head provides convenient, effective coarse control of the cursor's movement, while the wobble plate or touchpad cursor control mechanism provides convenient, effective fine control of the cursor's movement.

Abstract: A docking system is described for use with a portable computer of the type having a lock receptacle that is engageable by an anchored Kensington lock. The docking system has a case that forms a receiving portion located adjacent the lock receptacle of the portable computer when the portable computer is docked. The Kensington lock is received by the receiving portion and secures both the docking system and the portable computer.