Matrox Launches DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station for $249

MacRumors · Dec 12, 2012, 03:52 PM

For over a year, third-party manufacturers have been showing off prototypes and making announcements regarding Thunderbolt docking stations, accessories that would allow users to connect a variety of peripherals to a hub that would then connect to their Mac with a single Thunderbolt cable. Apple offers such functionality as part of its $999 Apple Thunderbolt Display, but many users have been looking for similar hub functionality that does not require also purchasing a large display.

Matrox is one of the manufacturers that has been working on a Thunderbolt docking stations, having announced its $249 DS1 hub back in June. At the time, the product was scheduled to launch in September of this year, but the company later pushed back the launch to December as it decided to roll out separate models for DVI and HDMI monitor compatibility.

Matrox will be announcing tomorrow that the DS1 docking station is now available for sale in the Americas at a price of $249, with worldwide availability set for next month. The DS1 contains a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out jacks and either an HDMI or DVI port on the rear of the device, with a combination USB 3.0/2.0 port and the Thunderbolt port for connection to the user's machine on the front.

We chatted a bit with product manager Charles Amyot about the development of DS1, in particular asking why it has taken over a year and a half to bring a Thunderbolt docking station to market. The issue is not unique to Matrox, as Belkin and other manufacturers have also been working to launch their products but have yet to begin shipping.

Amyot noted that there were a number of hurdles that needed to be overcome throughout the development process, due in large part to Thunderbolt being a new standard with little in the way of support available yet. Matrox worked closely with both Apple and Intel on the development of the DS1, but ensuring a good user experience with proper drivers and other features of the device turned out to be a time-consuming process. Amyot also noted that Matrox is the first company to deliver USB 3.0 connectivity over Thunderbolt, a step that required a significant amount of work.

Thunderbolt remains in its infancy, and many users have been frustrated with what feels like a slow pace of adoption. Until recently, Thunderbolt accessories have primarily been limited to expensive professional devices such as RAID storage arrays and PCI Expansion expansion chassis. Only in recent months have consumer-level products begun integrating Thunderbolt on a widespread basis, but even then many of them such as hard drives can only make maximum use of Thunderbolt when equipped with expensive solid-state storage.

Regardless, as Apple continues to slim down its Macs and eliminate such features as Ethernet ports, docking stations like the DS1 that offer a single-cable connection for a variety of peripherals are likely to become increasingly popular with users seeking simple expansion solutions.

Article Link: Matrox Launches DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station for $249

SimonTheSoundMa · Dec 12, 2012, 03:55 PM

I'll give this a miss. Over priced and misses IO such as eSATA, Thunderbolt pass-thru, and Firewire.

ECUpirate44 · Dec 12, 2012, 03:55 PM

All this thunderbolt i/o is still too expensive.

92jlee · Dec 12, 2012, 03:57 PM

What is the point in this product?

All macs (apart from air) have built in LAN, USB, display out and in/out audio.. Whats the point? If you need more USB plugs get one of those splitters/extentions etc..

DTF · Dec 12, 2012, 03:57 PM

Basically I just replicated my ports on my MacBook Pro for $249; and downgraded my USB ports to 2.0. I don't see this selling much.

Yvan256 · Dec 12, 2012, 03:58 PM

From the photos, it looks like the design is excellent. It seems to be anodized aluminium with the same surface finish as my unibody Mac mini.

However, the price is high for my taste and I can't understand why there's only two USB ports in the back. For this price I would have expected at least one FireWire 800 port and six USB 3.0 ports in the back plus one USB 3.0 port in the front. The fact that you also need to choose between DVI and HDMI is a bit weird IMHO.

wikus · Dec 12, 2012, 03:59 PM

How many years has it been since Thunderbolt was announced and launched?

These prices are outrageous. Thunderbolt is a total failure.

NutsNGum · Dec 12, 2012, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 92jlee

What is the point in this product?

All macs (apart from air) have built in LAN, USB, display out and in/out audio.. Whats the point? If you need more USB plugs get one of those splitters/extentions etc..

No ethernet on the Retina MacBooks. But there is a £20 converter, which I'd still buy over this.

Pianoblack3 · Dec 12, 2012, 04:00 PM

Thunderbolt is like the Blu-Ray of cables… in more ways than one.

applesith · Dec 12, 2012, 04:01 PM

Thunderbolt is too expensive to compete with USB 3. Yes it's faster, but who can afford to by all the cables and devices for it?

jrlcopy · Dec 12, 2012, 04:01 PM

Where's Belkin's, that was supposed to have firewire connections also.
http://www.belkin.com/us/thunderbolt

Shame none of them have esata also, that would have been a slam dunk then.

Stella · Dec 12, 2012, 04:02 PM

Hhhhmmmm ... USB3.. unfortunately its expensive just for USB3 compatibility.

My 2011 Macbook feels crippled with just USB2.

dukebound85 · Dec 12, 2012, 04:03 PM

i want to be able to daisy chain so it needs (what I would want)

*throughput thunderbolt
*why not just usb 3 at this point? 3-4 ports would be great
*ethernet is nice
*dual video out would be great
*audio in out is nice

Camali · Dec 12, 2012, 04:03 PM

Don't forget Belkin has removed the eSATA connection, plus the USB 3.0 ports are limited to 2.5gbps and not the full 5gbps USB 3.0 delivers - WITH NO price change. For that I can just replace my 17" Macbook Pro with a Mac mini! for slight a little more.

dBeats · Dec 12, 2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMa

I'll give this a miss. Over priced and misses IO such as eSATA, Thunderbolt pass-thru, and Firewire.

You put this docking station as the last part of a thunderbolt daisy chain...

willcapellaro · Dec 12, 2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wikus

How many years has it been since Thunderbolt was announced and launched?

These prices are outrageous. Thunderbolt is a total failure.

Which is a failure - the port or the standard? People use the port all the time. The protocol just hasn't caught on yet, but it's not like there are unused ports just wasting board and device space.

Arcady · Dec 12, 2012, 04:04 PM

This is a fail.

There needs to be a FireWire 800 port. There needs to be USB 3 on the back (or on all ports.) There really needs to be a Thunderbolt passthru port. I have an Apple LED Cinema Display that uses Mini DisplayPort, so I can't even hook up this thing without a passthru port.

And why are they putting the lone Thunderbolt port on the front? For a device that is supposed to eliminate cable clutter, I don't think they understand that I don't want a cable running out the front of the thing and across my desk.

willcapellaro · Dec 12, 2012, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NutsNGum

No ethernet on the Retina MacBooks. But there is a £20 converter, which I'd still buy over this.

Yeah, it would kill me to have to choose between screen real estate and connecting to a landed network. Thunderbolt Display is an expensive solution to this problem.

xraydoc · Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM

Why separate models for HDMI and DVI when a simple adapter plug would do the trick. Why no mini Display Port? Why only two USB ports on the back when adding more - if only via an internal hub - would have made this product much more useful. Why only one USB 3.0 port? And why, in god's name, is the Thunderbolt port on the front of the unit?

AppliedMicro · Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM

1x USB3.0 Nice to have. Esp. for a fast yet inexpensive external HD.
2x USB: completely adequate for HID, scanners, printers and the like.

But single-link DVI-D (1920 x 1200 @ 60 fps maximum resolution)?

Pass.

SeattleMoose · Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM

No FW 400/FW 800 for backward compatibility? There are a TON of FW peripherals out there. No sale here....another TB disappointment. When is TB gonna actually go mainstream? Geez, it has been years now since it was introduced....

macs4nw · Dec 12, 2012, 04:11 PM

Still too much $$$ for essentially a HUB, albeit a sophisticated one.

phoenixsan · Dec 12, 2012, 04:13 PM

More and more Thunderbolt consumer peripherals can speed up adoption of the standard and maybe drive down the prices.

Hubs can be handy/helpful in a variety of situations, I know for experience

wikus · Dec 12, 2012, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willcapellaro

Which is a failure - the port or the standard? People use the port all the time. The protocol just hasn't caught on yet, but it's not like there are unused ports just wasting board and device space.

The technology behind thunderbolt is fine. Its Apple being stupid again, just like with Firewire and just like with all their other overpriced proprietary crap and how they executed the implementation of it.

2 years in, and I've still yet to see ONE SINGLE thunderbolt product on a store shelf.

Xenomorph · Dec 12, 2012, 04:15 PM

It looks terrible, but I'd get it right now if my system supported Thunderbolt.

Every day I place my MacBook Pro on my desk at work and plug in the mouse, the monitor, Ethernet cable, other USB accessories, etc.

Wearing out an Ethernet port is serious business. They have to replace the entire motherboard for that.

Dec 12, 2012, 03:52 PM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Matrox Launches DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station for $249 For over a year, third-party manufacturers have been showing off prototypes and making announcements regarding Thunderbolt docking stations, accessories that would allow users to connect a variety of peripherals to a hub that would then connect to their Mac with a single Thunderbolt cable. Apple offers such functionality as part of its $999 Apple Thunderbolt Display, but many users have been looking for similar hub functionality that does not require also purchasing a large display. Matrox is one of the manufacturers that has been working on a Thunderbolt docking stations, having announced its $249 DS1 hub back in June. At the time, the product was scheduled to launch in September of this year, but the company later pushed back the launch to December as it decided to roll out separate models for DVI and HDMI monitor compatibility. Matrox will be announcing tomorrow that the DS1 docking station is now available for sale in the Americas at a price of $249, with worldwide availability set for next month. The DS1 contains a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out jacks and either an HDMI or DVI port on the rear of the device, with a combination USB 3.0/2.0 port and the Thunderbolt port for connection to the user's machine on the front. We chatted a bit with product manager Charles Amyot about the development of DS1, in particular asking why it has taken over a year and a half to bring a Thunderbolt docking station to market. The issue is not unique to Matrox, as Belkin and other manufacturers have also been working to launch their products but have yet to begin shipping. Amyot noted that there were a number of hurdles that needed to be overcome throughout the development process, due in large part to Thunderbolt being a new standard with little in the way of support available yet. Matrox worked closely with both Apple and Intel on the development of the DS1, but ensuring a good user experience with proper drivers and other features of the device turned out to be a time-consuming process. Amyot also noted that Matrox is the first company to deliver USB 3.0 connectivity over Thunderbolt, a step that required a significant amount of work. Thunderbolt remains in its infancy, and many users have been frustrated with what feels like a slow pace of adoption. Until recently, Thunderbolt accessories have primarily been limited to expensive professional devices such as RAID storage arrays and PCI Expansion expansion chassis. Only in recent months have consumer-level products begun integrating Thunderbolt on a widespread basis, but even then many of them such as hard drives can only make maximum use of Thunderbolt when equipped with expensive solid-state storage. Regardless, as Apple continues to slim down its Macs and eliminate such features as Ethernet ports, docking stations like the DS1 that offer a single-cable connection for a variety of peripherals are likely to become increasingly popular with users seeking simple expansion solutions. Article Link: Matrox Launches DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station for $249
	2

Dec 12, 2012, 03:55 PM	#2
SimonTheSoundMa macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK	I'll give this a miss. Over priced and misses IO such as eSATA, Thunderbolt pass-thru, and Firewire.
	31

Dec 12, 2012, 03:57 PM	#4
92jlee macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK	What is the point in this product? All macs (apart from air) have built in LAN, USB, display out and in/out audio.. Whats the point? If you need more USB plugs get one of those splitters/extentions etc.. __________________ \| Mac Pro 1,1 upgraded to X5355 \| PowerBook G4 17 1.50Ghz \| iMac G4 1.25Ghz \|
	2

Dec 12, 2012, 03:58 PM	#6
Yvan256 macrumors 601 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada	From the photos, it looks like the design is excellent. It seems to be anodized aluminium with the same surface finish as my unibody Mac mini. However, the price is high for my taste and I can't understand why there's only two USB ports in the back. For this price I would have expected at least one FireWire 800 port and six USB 3.0 ports in the back plus one USB 3.0 port in the front. The fact that you also need to choose between DVI and HDMI is a bit weird IMHO. __________________ The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time. -Tom Cargill, Bell Labs.
	4

Dec 12, 2012, 03:59 PM	#7
wikus Banned Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Planet earth.	How many years has it been since Thunderbolt was announced and launched? These prices are outrageous. Thunderbolt is a total failure.
	21

Dec 12, 2012, 03:55 PM	#3
ECUpirate44 Banned Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NC	All this thunderbolt i/o is still too expensive.
	9

Dec 12, 2012, 03:57 PM	#5
DTF macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2010	Basically I just replicated my ports on my MacBook Pro for $249; and downgraded my USB ports to 2.0. I don't see this selling much.
	5

Dec 12, 2012, 04:00 PM	#9
Pianoblack3 macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Scotland	Thunderbolt is like the Blu-Ray of cables… in more ways than one.
	9

Dec 12, 2012, 04:01 PM	#10
applesith macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2007	Thunderbolt is too expensive to compete with USB 3. Yes it's faster, but who can afford to by all the cables and devices for it?
	6

Dec 12, 2012, 04:01 PM	#11
jrlcopy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2007	Where's Belkin's, that was supposed to have firewire connections also. http://www.belkin.com/us/thunderbolt Shame none of them have esata also, that would have been a slam dunk then. __________________ 15" Macbook Pro i7 / 8gb ram / Lion / Windows 8 Avid Symphony 6.5
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 04:02 PM	#12
Stella macrumors 603 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Canada	Hhhhmmmm ... USB3.. unfortunately its expensive just for USB3 compatibility. My 2011 Macbook feels crippled with just USB2. __________________ Hardware / Software: The right tools for the job - be it Apple or otherwise.
	5

Dec 12, 2012, 04:03 PM	#13
dukebound85 macrumors P6 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: 5045 feet above seal level	i want to be able to daisy chain so it needs (what I would want) throughput thunderbolt why not just usb 3 at this point? 3-4 ports would be great ethernet is nice dual video out would be great *audio in out is nice
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 04:03 PM	#14
Camali macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2011	Don't forget Belkin has removed the eSATA connection, plus the USB 3.0 ports are limited to 2.5gbps and not the full 5gbps USB 3.0 delivers - WITH NO price change. For that I can just replace my 17" Macbook Pro with a Mac mini! for slight a little more.
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 04:04 PM	#17
Arcady macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2002 Location: Louisville, KY	This is a fail. There needs to be a FireWire 800 port. There needs to be USB 3 on the back (or on all ports.) There really needs to be a Thunderbolt passthru port. I have an Apple LED Cinema Display that uses Mini DisplayPort, so I can't even hook up this thing without a passthru port. And why are they putting the lone Thunderbolt port on the front? For a device that is supposed to eliminate cable clutter, I don't think they understand that I don't want a cable running out the front of the thing and across my desk. __________________ "The Macintosh uses an experimental pointing device called a 'mouse.' There is no evidence that people want to use these things." -John C. Dvorak, SF Examiner, Feb. 1984.
	8

Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM	#19
xraydoc macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The first state	Why separate models for HDMI and DVI when a simple adapter plug would do the trick. Why no mini Display Port? Why only two USB ports on the back when adding more - if only via an internal hub - would have made this product much more useful. Why only one USB 3.0 port? And why, in god's name, is the Thunderbolt port on the front of the unit? __________________ 2.93GHz i7 27" iMac • 1.8GHz i7 11" MacBook Air • 2.5GHz i5 Mac mini + 27" Thunderbolt display 2.66GHz quad-core Mac Pro + OS X 10.7 Server + 6TB RAID 5 • AirPort Extreme • iPad 3 & mini • iPhone 5
	4

Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM	#20
AppliedMicro macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2008	1x USB3.0 Nice to have. Esp. for a fast yet inexpensive external HD. 2x USB: completely adequate for HID, scanners, printers and the like. But single-link DVI-D (1920 x 1200 @ 60 fps maximum resolution)? Pass.
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 04:06 PM	#21
SeattleMoose macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Der Wald	Another TB Miss No FW 400/FW 800 for backward compatibility? There are a TON of FW peripherals out there. No sale here....another TB disappointment. When is TB gonna actually go mainstream? Geez, it has been years now since it was introduced....
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 04:11 PM	#22
macs4nw macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2010	Still too much $$$ for essentially a HUB, albeit a sophisticated one.
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 04:13 PM	#23
phoenixsan macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2012	Good news, indeed.....! More and more Thunderbolt consumer peripherals can speed up adoption of the standard and maybe drive down the prices. Hubs can be handy/helpful in a variety of situations, I know for experience __________________ Mac Pro 2010 3.06 Westmere version, 12 Core 64 GB RAM, 4 TB , iPhone 5 (black)
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 04:15 PM	#25
Xenomorph macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: St. Louis	It looks terrible, but I'd get it right now if my system supported Thunderbolt. Every day I place my MacBook Pro on my desk at work and plug in the mouse, the monitor, Ethernet cable, other USB accessories, etc. Wearing out an Ethernet port is serious business. They have to replace the entire motherboard for that.
	1

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode