CalDigit Thunderbolt Station Adds to Growing Ranks of Thunderbolt Docks

[rGiskard]

Nice! This is the first "docking" station that for me has the right mix of expansion and price. Caldigit is known for rock solid PCIe cards so I trust this dock will be free of any flakiness.

My only wish is that a DisplayPort had been used in place of the HDMI port. I believe HDMI is limited in resolution, no? So it's not a good solution for adding a display. Otherwise the ethernet port is welcome and the dock is almost worth it for the USB 3.0 ports alone.

Maybe with the rest of the ports Caldigit was concerned about bandwidth problems with a DisplayPort. If so, I hope they plan an update when the next iteration of Thunderbolt is released which doubles its bandwidth.

 

[HenryAZ]

I'm confused. If I am using a single external monitor, can I use a mini-displayport to displayport cable from the Thunderbolt Port, or am I restricted to using the HDMI out?

I'm not intending to use dual monitors (although that would be useful) but it would be nice to know whether I'll have to swap to using the HDMI in on the monitor.

I posed this question to their tech support team, namely using the tail end of the Thunderbolt daisy chain as mini-DisplayPort out. Their reply:

"Our Testing monitor is the Dell U3011 with a generic DP to mDP adapter
(resolution @ 2560x1600).

Everything tests fine."

 

[Crimson Hikari]

I posed this question to their tech support team, namely using the tail end of the Thunderbolt daisy chain as mini-DisplayPort out. Their reply:

"Our Testing monitor is the Dell U3011 with a generic DP to mDP adapter
(resolution @ 2560x1600).

Everything tests fine."

Brilliant, thanks for the info! I've got an Asus PB238Q, really nice monitor, but my XBox is taking up the HDMI. I would have had to keep swapping them over or get a switcher otherwise.

 

[HenryAZ]

Looking more closely at the specs for this device and the Sonnet dock as well, both spec OS X 10.8.x as a requirement. That's a big disappointment for me, running 10.7.5 on a 2011 Mac Mini. Lion was the mainstream OS when Thunderbolt ports were introduced. I wonder what about these basic hardware docks requires the higher OS level?

 

[theluggage]

I wonder what about these basic hardware docks requires the higher OS level?

USB3, I suspect.

 

[carestudio]

USB3, I suspect.

I have been using caldigit usb3 cards for years so it should have no problem to support 10.7.

 

[HenryAZ]

USB3, I suspect.

That's what I finally decided, too. The Matrox dock also requires 10.8.x. I have a question in to Sonnet and CalDigit asking about it, but no replies yet.

There is an xHCI kext on 10.7.5, but obviously it does not support USB 3.0 without some other help. You can put in the Sonnet USB 3.0 Express Card and nothing happens (of course Sonnet says as much). CalDigit's USB 3.0 Express Card does work on 10.7.5 with their own drivers, so one would think their dock would also benefit from the same drivers.

=========================
Edited to add the reply from CalDigit:

Dear customer,

The Thunderbolt stations is using the OS built-in drivers, which the OSX
10.8 holds some of the required drivers for the Thunderbolt station.

If these drivers become available on the 10.7.6, then the thunderbolt
station will be available for the OSX 10.7 as well.

 

[ipmasta]

I want one of these

Dumb question if you have a Mac with thunderbolt but only USB 2 can you get USB 3 speeds if you connect a USB3 device to one of these hubs?

As far as I can tell this should allow you to get usb 3.0 speeds with this hub. I have a mac mini with usb 2.0 but a thunderbolt port and thunderbolt is a lot faster than usb 3.0. Now will it be as fast as a built in usb 3.0 port- im not sure but I think that its safe to say you can connect a usb3 device and it work at usb 3 speeds. If anyone knows more about this feel free to contribute - thats my 2 cents I want one of these for my mac mini server.

 

[Trubbles]

what are these used for i don't understand you can get a thunderbolt to hdmi adapter and and u can get a usb 3.0 hub

I come home from work every day, and I hook my laptop up to:

- Power
- USB 3.0 HD
- USB mouse
- HDMI-out to monitor

As it is, I'm usually too lazy to hook up my second monitor and just leave the laptop open. I also don't have an USB ports available, so when I want to plug in my iPhone or some other random device I have to choose between undocking and unplugging my external HD (which is actually 3 drives that need to be "ejected") or unplugging my house and using the touchpad.

With a dock, it would be more like:

- Power
- Dock

Done.

This might sound trivial, but I do this every single day, except the weekend. I would love to get everything configured *just so* and then plug in two cables and be done with it. It wasn't worth $299 to me, but for $199 I'm very tempted

 

[phoenixsan]

Liked.....

the idea and want to see more Thunderbolt capable hardware. TB sounds like a promising tech, but right now, lower price tags are need to drive in purchases of new technology.

If prices become affordable, can be a good chance for TB to take off....

 

[maxosx]

Why are all these hubs so expensive? (I don't mean this as a criticism as there may be a good reason - I'm simply curious)

A_P_P_L_E (and the vendors) know they can get you to pay it.

 

[Richdmoore]

I was looking at the specs for the belkin thunderbolt dock in their web site, it says that the USB is 2.5 only. (I believe that is 1/2 normal USB 3.0 speed.)

I really hope that it is not a limitation on this dock as well, as I only really need the USB portion to upgrade my 2011 iMac. (The iMac includes all the other ports, but USB 2.0 only.)

 

[carestudio]

I was looking at the specs for the belkin thunderbolt dock in their web site, it says that the USB is 2.5 only. (I believe that is 1/2 normal USB 3.0 speed.)

I really hope that it is not a limitation on this dock as well, as I only really need the USB portion to upgrade my 2011 iMac. (The iMac includes all the other ports, but USB 2.0 only.)

read the comments from the show here
http://www.thunderbolt4mac.com/caldigit/thunderbolt-station/index.asp?C=1
its more than 2.5Gbs from caldigit's dock, so, it might be slightly better than belkin's u3.

 

[guaAm]

can anyone tell me when will they release this baby?

 

[carestudio]

can anyone tell me when will they release this baby?

Intel was showing off caldigit's thunderbolt station dock last week at trade show. It was a live demo with all the thunderbolt devices connecting together, including blackmagic's, promise's, and caldigit's Thuderbolt station (in the first device) and a usb flash drive and hdmi monitor connecting to caldigit's
http://www.thunderbolt4mac.com/caldigit/thunderbolt-station/index.asp?C=3

live demo to capture video.
so does that mean caldigit will be shipping soon? everybody is awaiting!!!!

 

[bigwig]

Not much need for this if you have an ACD. The ACD stupidly doesn't have USB3 yet, though.

 

[jrm27]

Intel was showing off caldigit's thunderbolt station dock last week at trade show. It was a live demo with all the thunderbolt devices connecting together, including blackmagic's, promise's, and caldigit's Thuderbolt station (in the first device) and a usb flash drive and hdmi monitor connecting to caldigit's
http://www.thunderbolt4mac.com/caldigit/thunderbolt-station/index.asp?C=3

live demo to capture video.
so does that mean caldigit will be shipping soon? everybody is awaiting!!!!

I hope so.... I need something bad, and I need it soon. This is a cheaper way to restore usb3 capability to my mbp, now that my USB ports are toast. I dont want to necessarily get the belkin dock, but as it is the only one available at the moment, I may have to.

 

[DrStern]

you need the thunderbolt exp box like this
http://www.thunderbolt4mac.com/expansion/

Sorry, but I just saw this. If this is for real, it could be just the thing. Thanks!

 

[carestudio]

Sorry, but I just saw this. If this is for real, it could be just the thing. Thanks!

It's for real

 

[Rgator]

Heads up on this!!!

I have not had the opportunity to try any of these new Thunderbolt docks, but I have gone through two Apple brand Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptors and they both have failed me! I am thinking that all of these new units will be having the same darn problems as I am seeing here with the adaptors.

Has any real testing been done as far a pro use before releasing them? Seems the Apple branded adaptor can not handle a large FireWire daisy chain, which causes all kinds of hell on the Mac.

My daisy chain consists of NewerTech and DatOptics enclosures holding a total of 15 drives and more than 22 TB.

I have Apple apps like iTunes and Mail not be able to run together and then not be able to Force Quit. Eventually I have to force shutdown! The Finder constantly hangs and won’t relaunch and another force shutdown. I have to do this about twice an hour when my daisy chain is connected.

Two days ago my main 2 TB drive, 2 partition disappeared and when it came back, it was looking to be reformatted and was one empty partition!

This daisy chain has been working very smoothly for several years and still works great on my older MBP.

So if you are wanting to use one of these new docks to connect your FireWire daisy chain, beware! Find out if it will actually work as you need it to before you buy! If any of this units can clear the problem, I will buy it immediately!

Any manufacturers out there reading this?

Any answers, ideas, solutions, comments?

 

[carestudio]

I have not had the opportunity to try any of these new Thunderbolt docks, but I have gone through two Apple brand Thunderbolt to FireWire adaptors and they both have failed me! I am thinking that all of these new units will be having the same darn problems as I am seeing here with the adaptors.

Has any real testing been done as far a pro use before releasing them? Seems the Apple branded adaptor can not handle a large FireWire daisy chain, which causes all kinds of hell on the Mac.

My daisy chain consists of NewerTech and DatOptics enclosures holding a total of 15 drives and more than 22 TB.

I have Apple apps like iTunes and Mail not be able to run together and then not be able to Force Quit. Eventually I have to force shutdown! The Finder constantly hangs and won’t relaunch and another force shutdown. I have to do this about twice an hour when my daisy chain is connected.

Two days ago my main 2 TB drive, 2 partition disappeared and when it came back, it was looking to be reformatted and was one empty partition!

This daisy chain has been working very smoothly for several years and still works great on my older MBP.

So if you are wanting to use one of these new docks to connect your FireWire daisy chain, beware! Find out if it will actually work as you need it to before you buy! If any of this units can clear the problem, I will buy it immediately!

Any manufacturers out there reading this?

Any answers, ideas, solutions, comments?

I dont know if apple would expect the intensive usage of such FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter, it's just a solution Apple provide to continue the support of old FireWire users, in the meantime they kinda enforce people to use Thunderbolt or USB3, look at the new macpro, no firewire.

 

[twoodcc]

choice is good.

 

[adeon]

According to Caldigit on Twitter the Thunderbolt Station can do an HDMI Display + a thunderbolt Display.


If that's the case, I wonder if can you do 6 of these stations and 6 displays + a Thunderbold Display?

 

[carestudio]

According to Caldigit on Twitter the Thunderbolt Station can do an HDMI Display + a thunderbolt Display.


If that's the case, I wonder if can you do 6 of these stations and 6 displays + a Thunderbold Display?

just a side notes, apple claim their new macpro can do 6 displays, the GPU is probably power enough to drive 6 in the new MacPro but not in the old ones.

 

[anthony11]

No Firewire port. That would rule it out for me, as I have too much investment in Firewire peripherals, and I wouldn't want to tie up the Thunderbolt daisy chain port with an Apple Firewire adapter.

This is especially notable given the claim "CalDigit makes a number of high-end storage enclosures and expansion cards for audio and video professionals"

A/V pros are especially likely to need FW. Stuff is progressively moving to USB (bleah), but it'll be a few years yet before FW can legitimately be considered legacy.

Were I to drop $200 or whatever on one of things things to get the various interfaces that are missing on my MBPr, I'd really expect it to have all of them. Heck, throw in a CF slot too.