TLDNR: I've tried adding up what I'd realistically need to "go USB-C" while maintaining a realistic quality of life - and it comes to between £400 and £500, the latter using docks at home and work for what should be a pretty slick 1-or-2-cable setup. If you disagree, post your shopping list.
OK, so we've all had a good gripe about "donglegate". I'm undecided about whether or not to get a new MBP, wait to see what happens with iMac/Pro/Mini or just stick with what I've got and resist the craving for a fix of "new computer smell". So, I've just sat down and worked out what extra bits and bobs I'd realistically need, personally, to get a USB-C "workflow" that didn't feel like a downgrade on what I've already got.
Your costs won't be exactly the same - they might even be zero - or you might plan on junking all of your old peripherals and buying new USB-C kit (in which case they'll be higher, but not really comparable).
So - here are my needs:
I mainly use my MBP either on the desk at work, or at home. On-the-road use only accounts for a small fraction, but its an important small fraction - I'm often demoing websites or other work-in-progress software, so its very useful to take my main system with me, since keeping a separate "mobile" laptop ready-to-go isn't as simple as syncing some files.
At home I need to run 2 x 24" displays[1], an external keyboard/mouse, connect to Gigabit ethernet and hook up various USB peripherals (I have a couple of Firewire devices, but they all offer USB2 as an alternative which will do until I write them off).
At work I have a 27" LED Cinema display which isn't going to get replaced any time soon (unless I succumb to Bring Your Own Display as well as Bring Your Own Laptop) - which doubles as a magsafe power supply and USB/Sound/Webcam/Mic dock. So, for one thing, I don't have to lug my Apple power supply to and from work. Good news is, the work ethernet is more trouble than the work WiFi so I don't need that.
Away from the desks: I'll need to be able to hook up to VGA data projectors - still ubiquitous. HDMI is starting to appear - the meeting rooms at work have it (and a 2015 rMBP would have had it) so I'll add that to my list. I'll also need to deal with USB sticks etc. that people hand me - however the USB-C AV adapters have USB-A so they'll cover that. Note that I want these to stay in my travel bag (I'm the one that remembers to bring their dongle - I'll still be carrying the old ones as well).
So, here are the shopping lists[2] - I've tried to strike a reasonable balance between "everything you could possibly want" and "well I suppose it would do".
First, doing it with cables/dongles:
Work desk 1
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
87W USB-C power adapter £79.00 (Apple) (because I can't use the Magsafe in the display)
USB-C charge cable £19.00 (Apple) (not included with PSU - seriously, Apple?)
USB-C to DisplayPort female dongle £39.59 (Kanex) [3]
DisplayPort male to MiniDP £6.31 (StarTech) [3]
USB-C to USB-A socket £9.00 (Apple) (-> Cinema display hub)
Road
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
HDMI Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
Home desk
USB-C to USB-A socket £9.00 Apple (-> existing USB hub -> keyboard etc.)
USB-C to Ethernet £22.00 (Belkin)
USB-C to DisplayPort cable (Screen 1) £41.99 (Startech)
USB-C to DisplayPort cable (Screen 2) £41.99 (Startech)
Total £414.88
Now, the "de luxe" version with docks at home and work - this would actually be pretty cool:
Work desk
Caldigit USB-C dock £174.00 (Also solve the PSU problem)
DisplayPort male to MiniDP £6.31 (StarTech) Still needed for the cinema display
Road
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 Apple
HDMI Multiport adapter £49.00 Apple
Home desk
Caldigit USB-C dock £174.00
USB-C to DisplayPort cable £41.99 (Startech) - I'll need this for screen 2 whether its connected directly to the Mac or the hub.
Total: £494.30
OK, so that's 80 quid more expensive, but much neater - also, the docks will power the mac on my home and work desks, so the official Apple PSU & cable (worth £100) can live in my travel bag - so I think we have a winner.
Now, of course, there will still be some optional trimmings: I'd want one of those handy double-ended USB-C/USB-A thumb drives (£20-£30), while I could plug my iPad in via a dongle it will be neater to have a proper USB-C-to-lightning cable (£19) and there's a couple of external portable HDs I use which (again) would be neater if I got proper USB-C-to-Micro-B cables (£14) rather than used dongles. Also, at home, a proper TB3 dock might be better if I eventually want to run 4k displays off it (probably £100 on the price).
So, conclusions:
(a) I'm gonna need to spend the thick end of £500 on the USB-C upgrade - whichever way you cut it that is a significant cost on top of a £2000+ computer.
(b) The "dock" route is going to be more expensive, but better value (assuming it works) - partly because they double as chargers and Apple are having a laugh with the £120 (if you add the charge cable and extension cord - although I've got several of the latter so I haven't costed those) spare charger.
Now, I don't get to dictate how people reply to this, but I'd suggest people offer up their own realistic USB-C bill for comparison or discussing alternatives rather than just repeating the dongle hate[4] (we've all had a good whinge). As I said - having a dock at home/work with a single cable would be neat.
---
[1] Now, my existing MBP won't actually run both displays - but I have the second one connected to another system and either use ScreenRecycler to get a "third" screen, or use synergy to sync the mouse and use the second screen to display online docs or preview the website etc. Having 2 "proper" external displays would be a major reason for upgrading my Mac. A 2015 rMBP would do this - the screens all accept DisplayPort and DVI, one has HDMI - and I already have the necessary cables. Log-term, I'd probably replace them both with 4k displays but I have't costed that here. Apple/LGs new displays are useless to me because you can only connect a single Mac to them, and I have old Macs, PCs, RasPIs and Linux servers I need to connect from time to time.
[2] I'm in the UK, so its priced in pounds - at the moment, with the pound a bit above $1.20 and UK prices including 20% sales tax, just crossing of the "£" and adding "$" will get you in the right ballpark (given the zone of uncertainty around shipping costs and whether or not you end up paying state sales tax).
[3] Ugh - double dongle! However, the Cinema Display has a captive MiniDP plug and the only direct USB-C -> MiniDP female dongle I can find is a generic far-east no-name one with some iffy reviews.
[4] Except for the stealth £120 PSU (£80 PSU, £20 charge cable, £20 extension lead). Apple haven't had nearly enough stick for that one yet.
OK, so we've all had a good gripe about "donglegate". I'm undecided about whether or not to get a new MBP, wait to see what happens with iMac/Pro/Mini or just stick with what I've got and resist the craving for a fix of "new computer smell". So, I've just sat down and worked out what extra bits and bobs I'd realistically need, personally, to get a USB-C "workflow" that didn't feel like a downgrade on what I've already got.
Your costs won't be exactly the same - they might even be zero - or you might plan on junking all of your old peripherals and buying new USB-C kit (in which case they'll be higher, but not really comparable).
So - here are my needs:
I mainly use my MBP either on the desk at work, or at home. On-the-road use only accounts for a small fraction, but its an important small fraction - I'm often demoing websites or other work-in-progress software, so its very useful to take my main system with me, since keeping a separate "mobile" laptop ready-to-go isn't as simple as syncing some files.
At home I need to run 2 x 24" displays[1], an external keyboard/mouse, connect to Gigabit ethernet and hook up various USB peripherals (I have a couple of Firewire devices, but they all offer USB2 as an alternative which will do until I write them off).
At work I have a 27" LED Cinema display which isn't going to get replaced any time soon (unless I succumb to Bring Your Own Display as well as Bring Your Own Laptop) - which doubles as a magsafe power supply and USB/Sound/Webcam/Mic dock. So, for one thing, I don't have to lug my Apple power supply to and from work. Good news is, the work ethernet is more trouble than the work WiFi so I don't need that.
Away from the desks: I'll need to be able to hook up to VGA data projectors - still ubiquitous. HDMI is starting to appear - the meeting rooms at work have it (and a 2015 rMBP would have had it) so I'll add that to my list. I'll also need to deal with USB sticks etc. that people hand me - however the USB-C AV adapters have USB-A so they'll cover that. Note that I want these to stay in my travel bag (I'm the one that remembers to bring their dongle - I'll still be carrying the old ones as well).
So, here are the shopping lists[2] - I've tried to strike a reasonable balance between "everything you could possibly want" and "well I suppose it would do".
First, doing it with cables/dongles:
Work desk 1
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
87W USB-C power adapter £79.00 (Apple) (because I can't use the Magsafe in the display)
USB-C charge cable £19.00 (Apple) (not included with PSU - seriously, Apple?)
USB-C to DisplayPort female dongle £39.59 (Kanex) [3]
DisplayPort male to MiniDP £6.31 (StarTech) [3]
USB-C to USB-A socket £9.00 (Apple) (-> Cinema display hub)
Road
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
HDMI Multiport adapter £49.00 (Apple)
Home desk
USB-C to USB-A socket £9.00 Apple (-> existing USB hub -> keyboard etc.)
USB-C to Ethernet £22.00 (Belkin)
USB-C to DisplayPort cable (Screen 1) £41.99 (Startech)
USB-C to DisplayPort cable (Screen 2) £41.99 (Startech)
Total £414.88
Now, the "de luxe" version with docks at home and work - this would actually be pretty cool:
Work desk
Caldigit USB-C dock £174.00 (Also solve the PSU problem)
DisplayPort male to MiniDP £6.31 (StarTech) Still needed for the cinema display
Road
VGA Multiport adapter £49.00 Apple
HDMI Multiport adapter £49.00 Apple
Home desk
Caldigit USB-C dock £174.00
USB-C to DisplayPort cable £41.99 (Startech) - I'll need this for screen 2 whether its connected directly to the Mac or the hub.
Total: £494.30
OK, so that's 80 quid more expensive, but much neater - also, the docks will power the mac on my home and work desks, so the official Apple PSU & cable (worth £100) can live in my travel bag - so I think we have a winner.
Now, of course, there will still be some optional trimmings: I'd want one of those handy double-ended USB-C/USB-A thumb drives (£20-£30), while I could plug my iPad in via a dongle it will be neater to have a proper USB-C-to-lightning cable (£19) and there's a couple of external portable HDs I use which (again) would be neater if I got proper USB-C-to-Micro-B cables (£14) rather than used dongles. Also, at home, a proper TB3 dock might be better if I eventually want to run 4k displays off it (probably £100 on the price).
So, conclusions:
(a) I'm gonna need to spend the thick end of £500 on the USB-C upgrade - whichever way you cut it that is a significant cost on top of a £2000+ computer.
(b) The "dock" route is going to be more expensive, but better value (assuming it works) - partly because they double as chargers and Apple are having a laugh with the £120 (if you add the charge cable and extension cord - although I've got several of the latter so I haven't costed those) spare charger.
Now, I don't get to dictate how people reply to this, but I'd suggest people offer up their own realistic USB-C bill for comparison or discussing alternatives rather than just repeating the dongle hate[4] (we've all had a good whinge). As I said - having a dock at home/work with a single cable would be neat.
---
[1] Now, my existing MBP won't actually run both displays - but I have the second one connected to another system and either use ScreenRecycler to get a "third" screen, or use synergy to sync the mouse and use the second screen to display online docs or preview the website etc. Having 2 "proper" external displays would be a major reason for upgrading my Mac. A 2015 rMBP would do this - the screens all accept DisplayPort and DVI, one has HDMI - and I already have the necessary cables. Log-term, I'd probably replace them both with 4k displays but I have't costed that here. Apple/LGs new displays are useless to me because you can only connect a single Mac to them, and I have old Macs, PCs, RasPIs and Linux servers I need to connect from time to time.
[2] I'm in the UK, so its priced in pounds - at the moment, with the pound a bit above $1.20 and UK prices including 20% sales tax, just crossing of the "£" and adding "$" will get you in the right ballpark (given the zone of uncertainty around shipping costs and whether or not you end up paying state sales tax).
[3] Ugh - double dongle! However, the Cinema Display has a captive MiniDP plug and the only direct USB-C -> MiniDP female dongle I can find is a generic far-east no-name one with some iffy reviews.
[4] Except for the stealth £120 PSU (£80 PSU, £20 charge cable, £20 extension lead). Apple haven't had nearly enough stick for that one yet.
