eBay docks...dock screen?

[diab0lik]

Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with any of the eBay Bionic docks with integrated spare battery charger...

The main question is just whether or not they trigger the dock screen when plugged in or not.

There are two different models (under various brandings) that I can tell. One charges the battery vertically, protruding from the dock, and the other horizonally, almost flush with the dock.

Here's some pics:

and

I read an Amazon review of the vertically charging one that says it doesn't. Also the pics on ebay for the horizontally mounted one show an actual Bionic plugged into it, without the dock screen. This has lead me to presume that it does not, however.

Also just wondering if there is any workaround to this, where the dockscreen can be automatically forced when charging.

I ask because I've been struggling to find a gift for a friend of mine, but he has a bionic with a spare battery, and I thought that a dock with included spare battery charger would be perfect....but I find the motorola solution of a piggybacked battery charger rather clumsy, and frankly out of budget for this particular gifting to get the moto dock AND battery dock.

If it's simple enough to make the dock screen come up with some app or setting, then I'll probably just go with the non-moto one...otherwise I'll just get him the moto dock and let him decide if he wants the battery dock as well.

TIA for any info.

 

[mwyarm]

I cannot speak for the desktop dock screen but tread carefully. I purchased the car dock and I have a preference for portrait display in the car dock. Motorola designed it such that it will only display landscape - no options and no override admitted by them. When I asked how to override, or basically just use their standard orientation mode, they stated it is built in. So, I am trying out several software products and none have 100% solved the problem. I have asked if rooting the phone and renaming the car dock app would solve the problem and no one who has actually done it can confirm.

Again, this is for car dock and you asked for desktop, but if Motorola cannot solve one problem I would check and double check before purchasing to make sure it does what you want. My faith in Motorola has decreased significantly since they are unable to find solutions for customers.

 

[csimme01]

I can tell ypu how to manually trigger the desk dock app.
download Bar Control app from market.
Launch it and let it find all your apps (It finds tons of stuff you dont know you have) Go through the apps and look for the ones with dock in them and try them out. I dont remember the name but i did it once and the desk dock is there somewhere.
You will end up with a icon in the status bar that will allow you to launch the dock mode anytime you want.