CES 2017: 'OWC DEC' Adds More Storage and Ports to the 2016 MacBook Pro

[dannys1]

The problem that many have with port compatibility. I love Thunderbolt 3, and personal setups can be changed or adapted, but that doesn't work for everybody. Some people have to adapt to older standards and they shouldn't have to carry around adapters for their portable computer.

And you don't have to carry around adapters - there is a native USB-C cable for every USB connection available. Just upgrade the cable - and yes thats upgrade because now instead of having a clunky type A to plug into your computer, you have a small type-C which can be plugged in, in either direction. If someone had given me the choice of buying those cables 15 years ago when type-A came out id have done it in a heart beat, now you can, people actually complain?? It's mental.

 

[SJTrance]

I never understood the resistance to buying cables when there are companies like monoprice around. You can get pretty much any configuration in any length with good quality for very cheap. You still had the same amount of wires. Just replace them. Now, the wires directly from Apple are freaking expensive and cheap corner store wires are just downright dangerous.

Disclaimer: I'm assuming that monoprice still produces quality products.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I would rather carry around a few short cables than this. lol

True. When you are portable, you don't really need much. A few short cables should be enough for most users.
Docks are supposed to stay on top of your desk, not carried around.

 

[steveOooo]

I would get one if it had 1x 2.5" spinning disc(or two that could be raided), extra battery, USB a, FireWire 800 or just a thunderbolt port....

 

[bernuli]

I meet with someone at the office and they hand me a USB stick filled with files. I need a dongle? Then someone gives me an SD card filled with pictures or video from a camera. I need another dongle? Then I hook up to the conference room projector, so I need another dongle? Let's be charitable and say the room is equipped for HDMI input and not just VGA. Oops, still need a dongle. And now I need to reconfigure some office networking equipment, so I just need to plug into the LAN... oops, another dongle.

I have this problem too!

 

[cult hero]

I meet with someone at the office and they hand me a USB stick filled with files. I need a dongle? Then someone gives me an SD card filled with pictures or video from a camera. I need another dongle? Then I hook up to the conference room projector, so I need another dongle? Let's be charitable and say the room is equipped for HDMI input and not just VGA. Oops, still need a dongle. And now I need to reconfigure some office networking equipment, so I just need to plug into the LAN... oops, another dongle.

Or, you know, you get like one or two. You know, something like this or like this or like this or even the Kannex travel dock when it's out.

If said place wasn't being charitable and you needed VGA, guess what? You've needed an adapter for VGA since like... what... 2004? What was the last Mac portable with VGA? Carrying a couple small adapters "just in case" is something I've done with Apple portables forever and it's just not a big deal. HDMI adapters were needed except for the Retina models since prior you either had DVI, Mini-DVI, or Mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt. Despite it's near holy reverence as the pinnacle of laptops around here, the Unibody machines needed adapters for all but a couple Apple monitors.

I need an adapter to hook up to serial terminals on network devices and I've needed one for every Mac portable I have ever owned (so, going back to 2006). I didn't have dongle rage then and I don't have it now.

Carry the ports you need. It's not that heavy. I carry a whopping two (the Monoprice with LAN and the Apple with HDMI) and as items like the Kannex become available, that might be one.

It is simply embarrassing that a "pro" machine is lacking in so much capability and flexibility.

I like that the ability to be able to, more or less, choose exactly what ports I want limits "flexibility." I have effectively external PCIe now and I have four connectors. Displays, ethernet, firewire, whatever—and native style connectors rather than over USB nonsense. My laptop will be able to support 10G Ethernet if I need it to. Pretty nice being forward compatible, eh?

Don't get me wrong, USB-C is riddled with dumb issues (what kind of cable are your using?). However, flexibility, especially on machines with Thunderbolt 3 is not an issue nor is capability. (The buggy Touch Bar and *ahem* optimistic battery life estimates on the other hand...)

Additionally, because USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 aren't Apple exclusives anymore, there are (in the case of USB-C) and will be (in the case of Thunderbolt 3) more devices available.

 

[Appleaker]

And you don't have to carry around adapters - there is a native USB-C cable for every USB connection available. Just upgrade the cable - and yes thats upgrade because now instead of having a clunky type A to plug into your computer, you have a small type-C which can be plugged in, in either direction. If someone had given me the choice of buying those cables 15 years ago when type-A came out id have done it in a heart beat, now you can, people actually complain?? It's mental.

I know that more than most people - there are too many people complaining about adapters for external devices or complaining about getting a native USB-C device when there is no need.

But that wasn't my point - I said some people have to adapt to older standards. That doesn't cover people who can adapt their setups.

 

[dazzer21-2]

My beef with this machine is, regardless of whether I have to change my cables, buy dongles or buy a dock - the price of the thing in the first place is ridiculous. For this, I want to be able to use all of my peripherals out of the box. They have literally taken away the (initial) functionality and added to the price. That's why I - personally - think that all the 'work-arounds', large and small including the one on this thread, are all a bit of a joke...

 

[thesaint024]

I have to say that I feel bad for OWC. They bought into the incessant bitching of not only non-owners, but those who have no intention to buy due to price or just bitterness. Now they've made a product that I predict will be cancelled, because they have no realistic shot of selling more than a handful of these. People are just complaining and will not put their money where their mouths are, because that's what complainers do. Who wants a new MBP that goes 5 years backwards? Current owners like the current design, even with any drawbacks. Like I said in a sub-thread, I am anxiously looking forward to these in the wild, for comedy alone. After a purchaser gets one, they'll realize "hey, it's pretty nice to NOT carry around all these ports and battery that I rarely use, just like Apple intended". The purchaser will simply stop carrying around this monstrosity for the one time in a month that he needs all those ports, instead opting for the single, one inch adapter that weighs nothing instead. I hope OWC realizes this in time before a bad business decision.

 

[kyykesko]

If it had a battery that doubled the battery life, that would be an instant buy for professionals who need something like this. It's already a pretty amazing thing to have. I like it.

If it had a battery I'd be very interested in this. It's address one of the worst failures of the new MBP. Now if they only could come up with a replacement top with a working keyboard we'd might be somewhere. Then again, I'd still not be interested in paying >$5k for a computer I need to tune with another $1k worth of parts to make it useable.

I only wish Apple would pay some attention to this and offer a real Pro model next year. It's time to see something besides toybooks.
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As usual, people always want a horse instead of a car. Then there're those "pro" users who want 450 separate horses instead of a powerful engine that takes less space than a horse and make the same power as 450 separate horses.

I'm happy that Apple doesn't listen to those "pros" just because a couple more dongles is too heavy to carry around. I have a no use for dongles since my stuff are cloud based and when I need a different port, a dongle is just fine.

There are also those 'pro's who want a fast new tiny electric sports car that has a 50 mile range. Then there are those stubborn old farts who argue that their old station wagon is much better because it can go 400 miles on a tank. Which is right? Some of us don't sit next to a power socket all day sipping lattes.

 

[mrex]

Or, you know, you get like one or two. You know, something like this or like this or like this or even the Kannex travel dock when it's out..

and this really bothers me. you have to rely on 3rd party components (if and when they are out) because apple didnt make a real multiport adapter themselves. Sure they have multi-av-this-and-that: basicly only having a hdmi or vga port and usb-a port. Multi? yeah right.. it is a dual-port adapter. multi from my *ss...

I'm happy that Apple doesn't listen to those "pros" just because a couple more dongles is too heavy to carry around. I have a no use for dongles since my stuff are cloud based and when I need a different port, a dongle is just fine.

like a gigabyte usb-c to ethernet dongle? may i ask which dongle made by apple you are going to use for this?

 

[cult hero]

and this really bothers me. you have to rely on 3rd party components (if and when they are out) because apple didnt make a real multiport adapter themselves. Sure they have multi-av-this-and-that: basicly only having a hdmi or vga port and usb-a port. Multi? yeah right.. it is a dual-port adapter. multi from my *ss...

Well... relying on third-parties doesn't bother me. I've had solid offerings from Apple and terrible ones. The same goes for third-parties. Heck, I'd say the thing that makes me the happiest about this change is that there will be a lot of third-party choices as opposed what I had available for Thunderbolt 1 and 2.

It really boils down to needs and when I honestly talk to people, they gripe more about "what if" and "just in case" than "this is what I use all day, every day." How often, when you're out and about, do you need a display and multiple USB ports? It's not rhetorical either, I'm seriously asking.

My biggest gripe is that there wasn't a whole lot available at launch (especially with Apple cutting off existing Thunderbolt 3 devices). But seriously, this is me most days:



And when the 5K is available in stores, that's gonna be one plug for video, power, Ethernet, and all my USB stuff.

You'd think for all the complaining I had like 50 dongles attached or something.

 

[amigaguru]

I am pretty sure that was one of the ideas around at Apple when and before they launched the original Apple Watch, esp. the super expensive gold edition. But with release of version 2 and the removal of the super expensive model you could see them refocusing at least their watch business away from luxery to a more sports related and functional perspective. But yeah, Apple definitely sees better revenue in selling hardware to people who want a nice looking computer/phone/etc. and don't care about specs as long as it works more or less. This is the logic of a sales guy like Cook.

Apple has become Leica Camera. Very good, very expensive, not the bleeding edge or fastest on all accounts; still very desirable due to its low volume and high quality... but at a high cost.
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Well... relying on third-parties doesn't bother me. I've had solid offerings from Apple and terrible ones. The same goes for third-parties. Heck, I'd say the thing that makes me the happiest about this change is that there will be a lot of third-party choices as opposed what I had available for Thunderbolt 1 and 2.

It really boils down to needs and when I honestly talk to people, they gripe more about "what if" and "just in case" than "this is what I use all day, every day." How often, when you're out and about, do you need a display and multiple USB ports? It's not rhetorical either, I'm seriously asking.

My biggest gripe is that there wasn't a whole lot available at launch (especially with Apple cutting off existing Thunderbolt 3 devices). But seriously, this is me most days:

View attachment 682754

And when the 5K is available in stores, that's gonna be one plug for video, power, Ethernet, and all my USB stuff.

You'd think for all the complaining I had like 50 dongles attached or something.

What this "Pro" model does it cuts off the remaining power users who need a desktop replacement into moving to Windows based Workstation models and those that need light mobile laptop that focuses on wireless connectivity more that physical connectivity.