Wow, I can almost get a basic 16gb ipad for that price!
So? You could get a lot of things for the same money! But unfortunately these wouldn't really solve the real world problems this outstanding Belkin product solves.
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Belkin Upgrades Thunderbolt Express Dock with USB 3.0 and eSATA, Bumps Price to $399.99
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So? You could get a lot of things for the same money! But unfortunately these wouldn't really solve the real world problems this outstanding Belkin product solves.
For single drives there's no reason why you can't put a fast SSD into a goflex TB dock, that's probably the cheapest option as you could use their portable dock which is $100, then just supply your own SSD.
Probably because of the One Small Problem that I mentioned in the Matrox dock thread: as is made clear on pretty much every FAQ on Thunderbolt, the legacy display device has to be the last device in the chain.
So you can either have a Thunderbolt through port (Belkin), OR a monitor port (Matrox) - but not both. To daisy-chain monitors you need native Thunderbolt monitors.
Even the Apple Thunderbolt displays, which you can daisy-chain, don't let you hook a Mini-DisplayPort device to their output.
Given that, its more useful to stick with a Mini-DisplayPort-to-whatever dongle - they're available in DVI, HDMI and even VGA flavours and you can easily add them to the end of the chain.
To make it easy to unplug the eye-wateringly expensive TB cable and take it with you - at $50 a pop were you really going to buy a second one for home?
Let' see, Belkin adds eSATA and USB 3.0 and then they charge an ADDITIONAL hundred dollars more for a product that is *ALREADY OVERPRICED*.
I can go to Frys and buy a eSATA and USB 3.0 external case for $29.
I can buy and internal PCI controller with eSATA and USB 3.0 ports for $29.
Where does this $100 go? Their pockets?
This sucks.
I can go to Frys and buy a eSATA and USB 3.0 external case for $29.
I can buy and internal PCI controller with eSATA and USB 3.0 ports for $29.
Where does this $100 go? Their pockets?
This sucks.
"A certain kind of style and sophistication" from a Belkin Thunderbolt dock?! Can I have some of what you're smoking? It must be really good stuff!
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Apple should release a similar product to this for $100-$150 and price the cable at $30. That will force these other manufacturers to get competitive on price and might just keep this Thunderbolt technology around for the general public to use.
Firewire is a must have.
More I/O is good.
Long lead time is a disappointment but worth the wait.
More I/O is good.
Long lead time is a disappointment but worth the wait.
This device looks to be 30 dollars worth of parts max. I think the Thunderbolt licensing fees from Intel and Apple must be stupid high. The price should be $99.00. I would rather have an iPad than that thing. Also September? Someone in China could clone it by Wednesday off that picture alone.
Firewire?
When that came out, people harped on it being like USB and the only device that supported it was the iPod that people came into contact with. It helped Adaptec sell a bunch of add-on cards for PeeCee users to get the port for their iPod, but aside from some niche products, and Sony's private named Firewire, for the average user, Firewire was not the 'end all be all' that it was touted as being. Now so many systems come with it but most people don't know what it was for, and don't care, and it's starting to disappear now too. If it was to be the 'USB killer', it failed... I still have a new Adaptec Firewire card here that I never used. It holds down papers on a shelf...
And I'm talking the 'average user'.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
So, it seems to me that this is really nothing more than a docking station (or port replicator). After doing a quick search, most competing products (of course not using Thunderbolt) range from $150 to $250. Personally I don't see the added value of thunderbolt to cost that much more.
This device looks to be 30 dollars worth of parts max. I think the Thunderbolt licensing fees from Intel and Apple must be stupid high. The price should be $99.00. I would rather have an iPad than that thing. Also September? Someone in China could clone it by Wednesday off that picture alone.
TB licensing is expensive and the chipsets are expensive but coming down. I don't think the pricing is as cheap as people are assuming. Just because USB or Ethernet is available on cheap PCI cards doesn't mean that that same economy of scale works for a device like this.
The people that need this device badly enough will purchase it. It's not the first time new technology has come out at a price premium.
I, as a consumer cannot express how disgusted I am with thunderbolt.
Actually let me correct myself, Im not disgusted with thunderbolt, I'm disgusted by these companies who want to rape and pillage my wallet.
THESE PRICES WILL KILL THUNDERBOLT.
Actually let me correct myself, Im not disgusted with thunderbolt, I'm disgusted by these companies who want to rape and pillage my wallet.
THESE PRICES WILL KILL THUNDERBOLT.
Just a simple Thunderbolt device with 2 thunderbolt ports, some USB 3 ports & as a bonus eSATA ports is all I really need. The iMac already has the rest of the ports & connections.
If the release is set for september, Belkin can easily add one more USB port and bump the price by another $100. I am sure this will find a lot of satisfied buyers. /sarcasm
It's a cool idea, but there is no way I would pay $400 for a hub. Seems like Thunderbolt is going to become just another unused port on my Mac.
It's a cool idea, but there is no way I would pay $400 for a hub. Seems like Thunderbolt is going to become just another unused port on my Mac.
Yeah It's still far too expensive, not sure who would invest that much on a Thunderbold Dock or even External Hard Drive..
While Thunderbold is super fast, still waiting on it to get mainstream, in the meantime I'd love to see Apple adopt USB 3.0 on all their machines..
While Thunderbold is super fast, still waiting on it to get mainstream, in the meantime I'd love to see Apple adopt USB 3.0 on all their machines..
No they won't. Some of you are making the assumption that these devices are aimed at you. If you need the speed and flexibility of this Dock the money will be inconsequential.
I don't know why everyone is so upset. Expecting 10Gbps connection for next to nothing in price is silly.
Most consumers will be happy with USB 3.0. Those with more demanding needs know that fulfilling those needs requires more demanding $$$$
The 27" thunderbolt display is looking more and more attractive. As long as they add USB 3.0 to the display, it's early happy birthday to me.