CES 2012: Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock to Launch in September at $299

MacRumors · Jan 9, 2012, 08:53 AM

Last September, we noted that Belkin was showing off a new Thunderbolt docking station at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), preparing to offer users a single-cable dock connection three USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a FireWire port, as well as inbound and outbound Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining.

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock (Source: HardwareZone.com)

Belkin is once again previewing the Thunderbolt Express Dock at CES this week, but has announced that it will not begin shipping until September of this year and will be priced at $299.

Quote:

Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock - $299

- Quickly connects into a desktop workstation and instantly accesses multiple devices with a single cable
- Adds reliable, gigabit Ethernet connectivity to your laptop
- Includes three USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire 800 port, one HDMI port, one 3.5mm Audio port, one gigabit Ethernet port and two Thunderbolt ports (one upstream and one downstream) for daisy-chaining to another Thunderbolt compatible device.
- Utilizes Thunderbolt Technology for data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps bi-directionally

The company had previously claimed following the publicity surrounding the dock's appearance at IDF that it would begin shipping in "spring 2012".

Apple offers similar docking functionality built into its Apple Thunderbolt Display. The $999 27-inch display includes three USB ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a FireWire 800 port, a FaceTime HD camera, and a 2.1 speaker system, all connected to the user's computer over a single Thunderbolt cable.

Article Link: CES 2012: Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock to Launch in September at $299

basesloaded190 · Jan 9, 2012, 08:55 AM

Still way too much money and the abscence of USB 3.0 is a deal breaker. Cut the price in half and add that and then you have a product people will want to buy.

KnightWRX · Jan 9, 2012, 08:56 AM

I guess that's cheaper than a 999$ display. Frankly, it's a bit too expensive for my taste, I'd rather just plug 2 cables and save the extra over my plain USB hub.

Snoeiman · Jan 9, 2012, 08:58 AM

Hmmm... where in the picture is the HDMI port?

Peace · Jan 9, 2012, 09:00 AM

Too much money and too late.

nicfargo · Jan 9, 2012, 09:00 AM

I'm sure it's HDMI through a display port adapter knowing them.

Also, no USB 3.0...really guys? Crazy expensive for nothing. No thanks, I'll pass.

elec999 · Jan 9, 2012, 09:01 AM

What a rip. It should include a ESATA port min.

dakwar · Jan 9, 2012, 09:01 AM

The words crazy and ridiculous come to mind.

DTphonehome · Jan 9, 2012, 09:02 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Wow. $150 with USB 3.0 and they've got a winner. Now the Thunderbolt display doesn't seem too bad.

ichiroboston · Jan 9, 2012, 09:03 AM

If it had a hard drive built in (for time machine) I would pay $299.

jwm2 · Jan 9, 2012, 09:03 AM

They shouldn't bother, i can't think of a single person who would ever buy one of these for $50 let alone $300.

LimeiBook86 · Jan 9, 2012, 09:04 AM

I hope this isn't what Jobs meant when he said 'cheap adapters' when referring to Thunderbolt.

But I suppose the more of these adapters that come out the cheaper they can get or the more other brands may come out. When Thunderbolt to eSATA/SATA adapters come out for under $50 let me know

(Considering that FW800 to SATA adapters are higher then that I think I'll be waiting a while)

benspratling · Jan 9, 2012, 09:04 AM

So the product is delayed half a year and price is at least 3 times what anyone would expect... Maybe this isn't the year for me to upgrade to a Thunderbolt capable Mac.

D.T. · Jan 9, 2012, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snoeiman

Hmmm... where in the picture is the HDMI port?

I think there's two ports on the back, kind of up underneath: an HDMI and another TB port. The front looks like

USB
USB
USB
Firewire
TB
Audio (3.5mm)
GB Ethernet

And they indicate 2 TB ports, so I'm assume #2 is hidden along with the HDMI[?]

Akack · Jan 9, 2012, 09:05 AM

Avail in Sept.....meh.

DustinT · Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM

Man, this makes the Apple Thunderbolt Display look like an even better deal. Shame on Belkin for trying to rape users with that product at $300.

conebbs · Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM

We are looking for Macbook Airs for teachers in my school district, we would need something like this for the teachers desk. But at $299 a piece is a bit much. Currently out Hp Docking stations are $75.

Is there anything else like this around that is currently available?

tigres · Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM

good luck with that Belkin. TB is looking like a bag of hurt.

jclardy · Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM

Wow, $300.

This makes the Apple Thunderbolt display even more justifiable, considering a dell of similar size, resolution and quality is only around $100 cheaper.

Apple Thunderbolt Display -> $700 for IPS panel, $300 for thunderbolt dock

But the main reason I am hesitant on the Apple Thunderbolt display is because its only input option is the TB cable. My current Acer model can have my MBA, PC Desktop and one other thing over HDMI plugged in at the same time, so it is kind of hard to accept the downgrade in connectivity with the jump in price.

They could have just added one mini-display port to the back and had autos-witching and a touch sensitive apple logo to switch inputs manually.

Anyways, this would be a bit more tempting if it were also portable (To be used on the road with a MBA for ethernet+extra USB), but they decided to make it look nice on your desk instead. So essentially for me, $300 to plug in one less cable at my desk. No thanks.

iDemiurge · Jan 9, 2012, 09:10 AM

That's a mockup. There's a pic here:

http://www.hardwarezone.com/tech-new...-unveiled-2012

Artful Dodger · Jan 9, 2012, 09:10 AM

Geez, way too much money and not until Sept. what were they thinking

kittyflipping · Jan 9, 2012, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basesloaded190

Still way too much money and the abscence of USB 3.0 is a deal breaker. Cut the price in half and add that and then you have a product people will want to buy.

I completely agree, this should be USB 3.0 with backward compatibility to slower USB devices.

If they add USB 3.0 and an ExpressCard 34 slot or eSata ports, then I could see the $300 price point. As it is, it's just under 1/3 the price of a 27" thunderbolt display, with no clear advantage as far as docking is concerned.

AdeFowler · Jan 9, 2012, 09:12 AM

People have babies quicker!

altecXP · Jan 9, 2012, 09:14 AM

This is more appealing to Air users than MacBook Pro

LordVic · Jan 9, 2012, 09:16 AM

its taken them over a year to come up with this fairly simple solution, and have priced it at an outrageous $300?

Just because it's thunderbolt doesn't mean its a $300 part.

Its nothing more than a glorified PCI-e expansion port. I'd buy one of these at ~$100.
but $300 is gauging

Jan 9, 2012, 08:55 AM	#2
basesloaded190 macrumors 68030 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Wisconsin	Still way too much money and the abscence of USB 3.0 is a deal breaker. Cut the price in half and add that and then you have a product people will want to buy. __________________ 2011 MacBook Pro 15 HR Anti-Glare, Etymotic ER-4p, iPhone 4 32GB Twitter
	41

Jan 9, 2012, 08:56 AM	#3
KnightWRX macrumors Pentium Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Quebec, Canada	I guess that's cheaper than a 999$ display. Frankly, it's a bit too expensive for my taste, I'd rather just plug 2 cables and save the extra over my plain USB hub. __________________ "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." -- Pericles
	12

Jan 9, 2012, 08:58 AM	#4
Snoeiman macrumors newbie Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Netherlands, Sittard	Hmmm... where in the picture is the HDMI port?
	-5

Jan 9, 2012, 09:00 AM	#5
Peace macrumors P6 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Space--The ONLY Frontier	Too much money and too late.
	24

Jan 9, 2012, 09:01 AM	#7
elec999 macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2007	What a rip. It should include a ESATA port min. __________________ \|\|Mac Mini\|\|iPad 16GB 3G+Wifi\|\|iPhone 4S 16GB\|\|
	9

Jan 9, 2012, 09:00 AM	#6
nicfargo macrumors member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Nebraska	I'm sure it's HDMI through a display port adapter knowing them. Also, no USB 3.0...really guys? Crazy expensive for nothing. No thanks, I'll pass.
	9

Jan 9, 2012, 09:01 AM	#8
dakwar macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2010	The words crazy and ridiculous come to mind.
	16

Jan 9, 2012, 09:02 AM	#9
DTphonehome macrumors 65816 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NYC	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3) Wow. $150 with USB 3.0 and they've got a winner. Now the Thunderbolt display doesn't seem too bad.
	8

Jan 9, 2012, 09:03 AM	#10
ichiroboston macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2004	Way overpriced If it had a hard drive built in (for time machine) I would pay $299.
	9

Jan 9, 2012, 09:03 AM	#11
jwm2 macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2012	They shouldn't bother, i can't think of a single person who would ever buy one of these for $50 let alone $300. __________________ Handmade Natural Skin Care Products for Geeks (owned and operated by my wife) Xbox 360 Controller Mods (owned and operated since 2001)
	-6

Jan 9, 2012, 09:04 AM	#12
LimeiBook86 macrumors 604 Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hanging around in NJ with his cutie. :)	I hope this isn't what Jobs meant when he said 'cheap adapters' when referring to Thunderbolt. But I suppose the more of these adapters that come out the cheaper they can get or the more other brands may come out. When Thunderbolt to eSATA/SATA adapters come out for under $50 let me know (Considering that FW800 to SATA adapters are higher then that I think I'll be waiting a while) __________________ My 'How to Draw Fun Animals' iBook is now on iTunes "Just you try and stop me..." My Site Thrift Fails Tech Blog
	2

Jan 9, 2012, 09:04 AM	#13
benspratling macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2006	So the product is delayed half a year and price is at least 3 times what anyone would expect... Maybe this isn't the year for me to upgrade to a Thunderbolt capable Mac.
	10

Jan 9, 2012, 09:05 AM	#15
Akack macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: T E X A S	Avail in Sept.....meh. __________________ Enough gadgets.
	3

Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM	#16
DustinT macrumors 68000 Join Date: Feb 2011	Man, this makes the Apple Thunderbolt Display look like an even better deal. Shame on Belkin for trying to rape users with that product at $300. __________________ My townhouse could pass for a well stocked Apple store.
	8

Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM	#17
conebbs macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2007	We need these We are looking for Macbook Airs for teachers in my school district, we would need something like this for the teachers desk. But at $299 a piece is a bit much. Currently out Hp Docking stations are $75. Is there anything else like this around that is currently available?
	4

Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM	#18
tigres macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Land of the Free-Waiting for Term Limits	good luck with that Belkin. TB is looking like a bag of hurt. __________________ Quicker than two shakes of a lambs tail
	10

Jan 9, 2012, 09:08 AM	#19
jclardy macrumors 68000 Join Date: Oct 2008	Wow, $300. This makes the Apple Thunderbolt display even more justifiable, considering a dell of similar size, resolution and quality is only around $100 cheaper. Apple Thunderbolt Display -> $700 for IPS panel, $300 for thunderbolt dock But the main reason I am hesitant on the Apple Thunderbolt display is because its only input option is the TB cable. My current Acer model can have my MBA, PC Desktop and one other thing over HDMI plugged in at the same time, so it is kind of hard to accept the downgrade in connectivity with the jump in price. They could have just added one mini-display port to the back and had autos-witching and a touch sensitive apple logo to switch inputs manually. Anyways, this would be a bit more tempting if it were also portable (To be used on the road with a MBA for ethernet+extra USB), but they decided to make it look nice on your desk instead. So essentially for me, $300 to plug in one less cable at my desk. No thanks. __________________ Swift Fox Software \| Rocket Chimp (iTunes - Free + Universal!) \| TargetTap Lite (iTunes) \| TargetTap (iTunes)
	3

Jan 9, 2012, 09:10 AM	#20
iDemiurge macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: London, England	That's a mockup. There's a pic here: http://www.hardwarezone.com/tech-new...-unveiled-2012 __________________ 2011 11" Air
	6

Jan 9, 2012, 09:10 AM	#21
Artful Dodger macrumors 68020 Join Date: May 2004 Location: In a false sense of reality...My Mind!	Geez, way too much money and not until Sept. what were they thinking __________________ 27" iMac, 3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 256GB SSD, AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB; Quad G-Drive; 12" Wacom Cintiq
	3

Jan 9, 2012, 09:12 AM	#23
AdeFowler macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: England	People have babies quicker! __________________ 15” 2012 MacBook Pro \| Mac Pro 6-core \| 30” ACD 64gb 3g iPad and an iPod or two
	14

Jan 9, 2012, 09:14 AM	#24
altecXP macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2009	This is more appealing to Air users than MacBook Pro __________________ Home - 13in MacBook Air: 1.7GHz i5, 4GB DDR3, 128GB SSD Work - (not in use)2011 15in MacBook Pro: 2.2GHz i7, 8GB DDR3, 500GB HDD (in use) 2008 15in MacBook Pro: 2.5GHz Core2Duo, 4GB DDR2, 160GB HDD
	2

Jan 9, 2012, 09:16 AM	#25
LordVic macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Stouffville, Ontario	its taken them over a year to come up with this fairly simple solution, and have priced it at an outrageous $300? Just because it's thunderbolt doesn't mean its a $300 part. Its nothing more than a glorified PCI-e expansion port. I'd buy one of these at ~$100. but $300 is gauging
	10

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