ThinkPad UltraBase

IBM UltraBase The IBM UltraBase is a portable dock for the ThinkPads 570 and 570E providing extra ports as well as the originally missing drives and a set of stereo speakers. Together with the ThinkPad it forms a solid unit approximately double the height of the ThinkPad alone. Containing a builtin floppy drive and a UltraSlimBay slot, it provides flexibility in drive choice. Furthermore, the UltraBases floppy is exchangable with a second battery of the same type as the one in the notebook to extend the mobile working time. It also features a second docking port, enabling one to dock the combined unit onto a port replicator or full dock. Features Passthrough ports: USB (single port) Audio Line out MIDI/Game port 1.44MB Floppy disk drive, exchangeable with second battery UltraSlimBay slot docking port Stereo speakers Kensington security hole Pros & Cons Positives: Expansion capability, portable Negatives: makes the ThinkPad quite thick Compatibility: 570, 570E Warranty: Three Years (?)

UltraSlimBay

The UltraSlimBay slot in this dock is a full featured one and supports warm swapping with all UltraSlimBay drives. However, the UltraSlimBay battery pack is NOT supported.

Floppy and Battery Slot

The UltraBase features a removable floppy drive residing in a slot that is mechanically combined with a battery slot. While the floppy is fitted in from the right side of the unit, the battery slot is accessible from the top. If removed, the floppy is still usable as an external drive connected through a special cable. The battery slot takes a standard battery pack of the 570 or 570E.