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Belkin Finally Taking Pre-Orders for Thunderbolt Express Dock

Ist better for this price to buy another MacMini? conect them with Thunderbolt and you got more ports and more storage

Make that belkin dock $50 and I will get one
 
nilk said:
I assume you can plug in a DisplayPort display (including higher res ones like 2560x1600 displays) into the Thunderbolt port on this dock, but I'd like to know for sure (Belkin's specs don't say).
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If it was me building this, and you could plug in a DisplayPort display, then I would make sure it is mentioned in the specs. If a DisplayPort display didn't work then I wouldn't mention it. You should assume that it isn't supported. If I'm wrong and it is supported then you still shouldn't buy from a company that is too stupid to put essential information into their specs.
 
Double that price and you get the cheapest Mac available. Being a student - and considered getting edu discounts from Apple but not from Belkin - a brand new Mac mini would be just around $500.

For that price I'd rather choose another stand-alone Mac instead of a docking solution for my portable. Of course, that may not be valid for everybody. But that price point really makes it a niche-product, unfortunately. 🙁
 
Greg Priestley said:
Suspect the original pre-order was a mistake...
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Or it was a toe-in-the-water to gauge 'real' demand.

They're missing an opportunity, since one of their USPs is adding USB3 to 2011 Macs - but if they delay too long the more deep-pocketed potential customers will be replacing their machines with 2013 models.

SapperProducts said:
Hi Guys, anyone has heard of the MacDock It is a great alternative to the expensive (Belkin and Matrox)*Thunderbolt docking stations
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That looks neat.

Its worth noting that what you have is a port replicator/USB hub, whereas a Thunderbolt dock adds new Gigabit Ethernet, USB3 and Firewire controllers 'directly' to the PCIe bus - adding these facilities if your Mac doesn't already have them and avoiding the bottleneck/CPU load of doing them via USB. That goes some way to justifying the extra cost of the Thunderbolt "docks".

However, your solution will probably fill the need for a lot of users, so best of luck.

On practical note, my concern would be whether either the connector or the cable restricts access to the Firewire, Ethernet and remaining USB sockets. The first two aren't replicated by the dock, and you'd want the latter for memory sticks etc. The advantage in having a double connector rather than two regular ones is marginal, and goes away if it makes any other connections more of a fiddle.

Also, as I have a 2011 MacBook Pro, this would effectively disable the only Thunderbolt port - so you couldn't go on to add a TB disc drive.
 
nilk said:
When you're spending $3500 on a maxed out 15" rMBP config, and $1200+ on a 30" monitor ($4700 total), $350 is still a lot, but not that huge of a stretch, and a base model Mac Mini just isn't going to cut it, especially if you do most of your work on the rMBP and don't want to worry about managing multiple machines and want a seamless experience.

Let's say you already having the 30" monitor, buying this to add TB capabilities instead of buying a $999 Apple Thunderbolt Display (which lacks audio out and lacks USB 3.0) may actually make sense.

Personally I wouldn't buy at this price point, but I can imagine someone who would, or I can imagine companies buying their developers or other professional employees this.
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Yep, this exactly describes me. I work as an airline pilot, do a lot of paid photography on the side, about to pick up a new MB Pro retina to replace my 2010 MB Pro (which replaced my 2006 MB Pro, which replaced my 12" PB, which replaced my 13" Wallstreet G3...get the picture?) to use with my NEC editing monitor. No way a base-model Mini even compares to a loaded 15" MB Pro for what I use it for, not to mention then having to maintain another machine, sync files etc etc. (I just finished getting rid of my Mini as a HTPC, not getting another one!) The laptop travels with me, then plugs into a whole host of peripherals back home. To be able to set up by plugging in one cable - priceless. Added bonus, I prefer the speed and stability of ethernet for the work I do (shooting tethered in another room) so I can take a 10% "discount" right off the top for not having to buy a $29 TB-to-ethernet adapter...

I realize my situation isn't typical but cost isn't the object, time and convenience are. I'm sure there will eventually be cheaper competitor products but for now I'd just be happy if they'd actually start shipping it! 😡

But the whining about price is so boringly predictable. Don't like the price, don't buy it. Or get a better job.
 
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adequate priced upgrade

FloatingBones said:
You can go with the Sonnet TB to Expresscard/34 box and get a USB 3.0 Expresscard for that. That's clearly a sub-optimal solution, and you'd have to be careful that drivers worked correctly.

I think your only real solution is to upgrade to a current Mac.
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Sorry, we tried it out, but wasn't functioning... (Sonnet - they write it in little letters, that the Express Card USB 3.0 is not compatible to this socket)

So we wait and wait and wait... - Why? It is adequate for all elder iMacs and MBAirs without USB 3.0 if they have Thunderbolt - from this view a reasonable priced ugrade to keep them up-to-date 😉
BUT:
Meanwhile we doubt it will come to market - what could be the next change in specifications? - o.k. the last two made sense 🙂
 
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Imac Sam said:
I would just like to see a simple Thunderbolt --->> USB 3.0 adapter. Then I would be golden with my Mid-2011 Imac.
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Perhaps even a THUNDERBOLT --->> multiple FW800 ports.
I'm using 4 G-Tech drives connected via FW800 for Video Editing.
I'd hate to see those drives go to waste... with no way to connect, except via USB 2.0 on those drives... and that isn't going to cut it... edit pun intended 😉
 
This product combined with the firewire 800 to thunderbolt cable means that a few software upgrades and any current Mac from the Macbook Air to the iMac works 100% with all my peripherals and audio stuff, including the recording drive.

The idea that in years to come I just need an inexpensive firewire drive, any Mac laptop in the range, headphones and the annoying copy protection dongles that are common these days is excellent. Mobile sequencing anywhere and all my stuff all hooked up with one cable when I get home. It's going to be the same for a lot of people, even high end systems like Pro Tools HD have thunderbolt systems out now too so it can only get better.
 
I wish this was available. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

I wish this was available. I would buy it in a heartbeat.

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Imac Sam said:
I would just like to see a simple Thunderbolt --->> USB 3.0 adapter. Then I would be golden with my Mid-2011 Imac.
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You would need:
2 Thunderbolt ports - so you can add a 2nd monitor to your setup
3 USB 3.0 ports at least. Unfortunately, USB 3.0 hubs are extremely flakey and do not always work.

Thus, you already have something close to the Belkin Thunderbolt Dock.
 
My main problem is that the USB 3 is only 2.5Gb/s and not 5Gb/s. Yeah it's better than USB 2 but c'mon, the hub is expensive enough, they could have definitely put full speed USB 3 in.
 
I preordered one of these, and Belkin has been unable to deliver it. Today, I got a laptop stand in the mail with an apology letter, saying they will let me know when the Dock will actually ship, but no date.
 
beez1717 said:
All I'd care about is a simple thunderbolt to eSATA converter since my external disk has that technology in it. Would make it a whole lot faster than firewire 800!
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Totally, and in a better form factor than the Lacie eSATA adapter that requires external power.

A USB 3 dongle like the gig-e and 1394b thunderbolt dongles would be great as well, add me to the list of people wishing that was available...

Rob
 
There isn't any good reason why it's selling for that price. My HP docking station has 6 USB 2 ports (it's a 2010 model, the 2012 model has 4 USB 3 and 2 USB 2), eSata, 2 DVI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 VGA, ethernet and a slot for an extra drive, plus a serial port and a parallel port. It sells for less than 200.
 
I just want a small Thunderbolt dock with a few USB 3.0 ports, that supports daisy-chaining. If it could split the outgoing signal to an external monitor in two directions for multiple monitor functionality (even if it treats it at one really big monitor), all the better.

At the moment my Thunderbolt port only gets used as a glorified mini-displayport, and I would love to actually make full use of it.
 
ics55 said:
I preordered one of these, and Belkin has been unable to deliver it. Today, I got a laptop stand in the mail with an apology letter, saying they will let me know when the Dock will actually ship, but no date.
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I will give them a little bit more time. Me, in the per-order list too. Been waiting....
 
It's currently listed as available May 13 on bhphotovideo.com after being initially listed as 20th April then going to May 20th then back to the 13th. Hoping my order's not too far down the list.
 
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