Targus has announced the release of its Universal Notebook Docking Station, which it claims will turn a notebook into a fully-fledged workstation.

The announcement will no doubt be welcomed by the many Australians who are now using their notebook as a replacement for the traditional desktop PC. 

The device offers most of the connectivity ports found on a typical PC, including USB 2.0, serial, parallel, PS/2 and 10/100 Ethernet LAN. There are four USB ports (two of them high-powered), allowing for the simultaneous connection of devices such as a keyboard, mouse, joystick, scanner, digital camera, scanner or card reader.

The docking station is powered by an AC adaptor, meaning it can be left on when the notebook is shut down. This is good news for owners of peripherals such as iPods, PDAs and phones as they can be recharged via the high-powered USB ports.

The Universal Notebook Docking Station measures 27cm x 7.5cm x 3.1cm and weighs in at 343 grams. Recommended retail for the device is $199.