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Belkin Shows Off Upcoming Thunderbolt Express Dock

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,453
30,657



Ever since Apple introduced its new Apple Thunderbolt Display, which should begin shipping in the very near future, users have been hoping for a product that offers the same docking station capabilities without the integrated monitor and $999 price tag.

belkin_thunderbolt_dock_1.jpg



Belkin may soon have an answer for those users, as DailyTech notes that the company is using this week's Intel Developer Forum to show off a new docking station offering essentially the exact same connectivity as found on the back of Apple's new display.
The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock features three USB ports, a Thunderbolt port for daisy chaining, a Firewire port, and a GbE port. This is basically the same port setup that's found on the new 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display.

For Apple users looking for expanded port offerings via the Thunderbolt port and don't want to pay $999 for the functionality, the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock will come in handy.
Click to expand...
belkin_thunderbolt_dock_2.jpg



Unfortunately, there is no word yet on pricing or a launch date for the docking station, so users will have to wait for Belkin to release more details.

Article Link: Belkin Shows Off Upcoming Thunderbolt Express Dock
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/09/13/belkin-shows-off-upcoming-thunderbolt-express-dock/
O

OceanView

macrumors 65816
Sep 16, 2005
1,094
39
Looks great!
I wonder if you could rest an MBP or MBA on the device.
Looks like you could
 
Frobozz

Frobozz

macrumors demi-god
Jul 24, 2002
1,145
94
South Orange, NJ
I have a need for this. Apple decided to pack their external ports too close together on the MB Pro. I'd love to get one cable and port to handle all the persistently plugged in peripherals I'd have: my displayport LED monitor, my Wacom Tablet, my FW800 external RAID, and a thumb drive.
 
H

Henriok

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2002
226
14
Gothenburg, Sweden
How many of these can you daisy chain? You can have up to 6 TB units in a chain, iirc, but that doesn't found all the ports that each node enables?
 
basesloaded190

basesloaded190

macrumors 68030
Oct 16, 2007
2,693
5
Wisconsin
This has been the one and only thing I have been looking forward to with TB. I can't wait until they release this! Just a question of pricing now.
 
LimeiBook86

LimeiBook86

macrumors G3
May 4, 2002
8,001
45
Go Vegan
I'd be far more interested in this if it had an SATA or eSATA port on the dock. :(

Still it is nice to see adapters finally start to come out. Let's hope it's not too pricey!
 
C

ConnYoungy

Cancelled
Aug 14, 2010
535
201
Bit annoying to have the power lead on the front though, poking out all the time where you can see it/ where it gets in the way
 
Analog Kid

Analog Kid

macrumors G3
Mar 4, 2003
8,853
11,367
Putting the DC in jack right in the middle of all the other connectors was an interesting choice... Seems it would have been a little more functional to put the power jack where that cable wouldn't interfere...
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,023
7,867
If they can keep the price to $100 then this will sell well. I was excited about the Sonnet ExpressCard 34 device, but not as much when the $150 price tag was announced. Remember, these things require a $50 cable to connect. $100+50 would justify Ethernet, FireWire, and a USB hub. $150+50 is still doable, but more than that would turn away a lot of people.
 
M

mtbgtr

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2009
143
122
Mattsasa said:
are those usb 3.0 or usb 2.0 ports?
Click to expand...

3-USB2 ports just like the new display. USB 3 ports are blue, not white. SO for me this is a BIG FAIL by Belkin unless its just not physically possible to go TB -> USB3.

If that's the case then TB itself is a big fail for users looking to hook cheap storage to TB.

It took years for Firewire drives to come down in price and they are still hard to find, sound familiar?
 
basesloaded190

basesloaded190

macrumors 68030
Oct 16, 2007
2,693
5
Wisconsin
wikus said:
An adapter being a regular miniDisplay port to HDMI cable, correct? (I use an Asus PA246Q monitor).

----------



Most, if not all. Regardless, the bottleneck will be USB 2.0 on the laptop itself, it wouldnt make a difference to have USB 3.0 on the hub.
Click to expand...

1. Yup
2. Not if it's going through the TB port
 
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