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CES 2012: Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock to Launch in September at $299
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You would still need a thunderbolt device to connect to the other end (for most it will be storage but can be display and others as well). That being said, the devices to connect to the dock is an additional expense; hence, I see no reason as to why I should (or anyone) pay $299 for a simple dock where as the Apple Display gives you all these features (if not all then most) along with a display, camera, and speakers for $999... it's more expensive but it has additional features.
Too expensive for a dock.. Seriously 
I'd LOVE a dock for the Air with GB Ethernet. But this is just silly. And the real photo doesn't even seem to have a cable, that's probably extra too.
I wonder what makes them so expensive. I don't think the chips could be that expensive. Would it just be the R&D?
I'm glad now that I went for the 2010 Air, I'll skip the 2011 altogether and wait for one that has USB 3. Drives for that are only 10% more than USB 2 ones.
I'd LOVE a dock for the Air with GB Ethernet. But this is just silly. And the real photo doesn't even seem to have a cable, that's probably extra too.
I wonder what makes them so expensive. I don't think the chips could be that expensive. Would it just be the R&D?
I'm glad now that I went for the 2010 Air, I'll skip the 2011 altogether and wait for one that has USB 3. Drives for that are only 10% more than USB 2 ones.
Seems a little pricey for the sake of not touching cords when you set your laptop down on your desk for the day.
It's more like Thunderbolt isn't the consumer technology we've been led to believe. Maybe Apple mistook Intel's intention with the technology, or maybe Apple just didn't bother to tell us this isn't supposed to be targeted as a USB replacement.
Belkin, keep it. For that price, I would rather wait a year. Call me back when it's $99.00.
What a way of taking advantage of new technology, by charging outrageous prices! I guess business are business.
What a way of taking advantage of new technology, by charging outrageous prices! I guess business are business.
I've often wondered how they came up with the name 'Belkin'?
Some etymological hybrid that makes you think of either "belching" or "baulking" on being informed exactly how much they charge for pretty basic peripherals.
This is no different. Turd polishing at its finest.
Some etymological hybrid that makes you think of either "belching" or "baulking" on being informed exactly how much they charge for pretty basic peripherals.
This is no different. Turd polishing at its finest.
It isn't supposed to be a USB replacement...
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9220434/Thunderbolt_vs._SuperSpeed_USB_3.0
AFAIK, Thunderbolt is actually PCIe made external. What's so special about it that is driving the prices so high?
It must be the hype mixed with the greed of manufacturers.
It will drop in price if sales are low, so for the best interest of all of us to wait, and purchase it when price drops. I would happily pay $99.00 for it.
I would rather buy an iPod to listen to music while the transfer completes...
Or it's the need to implement host and target controllers in every device, with multiple channel support for the daisy chain (all devices become hosts for the next one in the chain and all devices are targets for the previous device, etc..) combined with patent/trademark/licensing costs.
But would Intel really set its hardware & licensing costs that high? If they do then they're really setting Thunderbolt up to fail.
When thunderbolt came out in the Air, I was hoping Apple would introduce a GigaBit Ethernet adapter alongside it, a simple dongle with Thunderbolt similar to the USB one they offer now but gigabit. I would even have paid $50-60 for that, the Air would have been great for lan parties that way. But this way it's just pricing itself out of the market.
It doesn't even make sense to have it on the MacBook Air - if all the peripherals are this price and/or only high-end disk arrays etc, the small customer base that has a need for them and can afford them is probably using the Pro anyway.
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It is because there is little to no competition so they can charge more and make hefty margins. When competition increases prices will drop. Every tb device is overpriced so far. If stuff sells at some level things will change.
Belkin is not going to floor the price when there is no competition especially with no real sense of the market yet.
Amazing Iceman said:
AFAIK, Thunderbolt is actually PCIe made external. What's so special about it that is driving the prices so high?
It must be the hype mixed with the greed of manufacturers.
It will drop in price if sales are low, so for the best interest of all of us to wait, and purchase it when price drops. I would happily pay $99.00 for it.
I would rather buy an iPod to listen to music while the transfer completes...
It is because there is little to no competition so they can charge more and make hefty margins. When competition increases prices will drop. Every tb device is overpriced so far. If stuff sells at some level things will change.
Belkin is not going to floor the price when there is no competition especially with no real sense of the market yet.
talk about DOA tech, then.
At least I can brag with my MBA hooked to my TV using an EUR 8,90 MDP to HDMI adapter and say, "hey look at that Blitz : it's a thunderbolt lightning fast connection".
Whereas it's just DVI + SPDIF, inside a white cable.
Cool.
eSata and USB 3.0 is lacking? I'm transferring videos between my mac and pc every day along with backing up catalogues on both units. I'm not going to to go out and spend $$$ on thunderbolt for that extra speed.
My PC is USB3.0 equipped, mac isnt. Mac is only getting used for small things. sad as I love my mpb.
$300, not a chance when I have other things that need paying for.
My PC is USB3.0 equipped, mac isnt. Mac is only getting used for small things. sad as I love my mpb.
$300, not a chance when I have other things that need paying for.
As an enthusiast, I like Thunderbolt but I doubt I would ever find a device worth purchasing to actually use it. Disposable USB 3.0 it is.
Or they're setting up Thunderbolt to be a professional/prosumer technology. Fiber Channel is godly expensive, never mind 8 Gbps HBAs, yet it's far from failing... in the enterprise.
Maybe Intel is not aiming Thunderbolt to consumer applications. We'll know when it shows up in PC as PC manufacturers tend to have real clear definition of what is a consumer product and what isn't (take Dell's Inspiron vs its Lattitude laptop line-ups, or it's Inspiron vs Precision desktops).
Oh no you didn't!! *snap snap*
Its been over a year since thunderbolt was made public and about a year since any computer has had it. of all computers out there, only a percentage of macs have thunderbolt. considering that the mac userbase is about 10% of the pc market, the numbers for TB are very low. add the fact that a year in and there are still only about 5 products you can actually buy for TB all of which are outrageously expensive, make the whole damn thing a monumental failure. if thunderbolt was to take off we'd have pci cards for desktops and hard drive enclosures for them a long time ago. neither of which have happened.
I don't care how great thunderbolt is if there's nothing out for it and it costs so much. the other problem is that I am NOT going to use it anyway as my external hard drives and flash drives are usb which connect to a plethora of other devices with usb. thunderbolt does nothing for me. and I say that as a macbook pro owner with the thunderbolt port.
bag of hurt? that's being generous.