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Docking solutions

WorldIRC

WorldIRC

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 25, 2005
473
45
Hi Guys,

Coming from Lenovo, having a dock is a pretty standard thing. Get to work, attach your laptop to the dock, everything is connected.

What alternatives are recommended for the 15" rMBP? I've read mixed reviews with the Belkin dock.

What I am connecting:

2x Monitors (not Thunderbolt daisy chainable) - DVI

Sound System - Since it is optical, I may just continue using the rMBP's optical port

Printer
 
WorldIRC said:
Hi Guys,

Coming from Lenovo, having a dock is a pretty standard thing. Get to work, attach your laptop to the dock, everything is connected.

What alternatives are recommended for the 15" rMBP? I've read mixed reviews with the Belkin dock.

What I am connecting:

2x Monitors (not Thunderbolt daisy chainable) - DVI

Sound System - Since it is optical, I may just continue using the rMBP's optical port

Printer
Click to expand...

A Henge Dock is your best bet to get anywhere near a "dock" like experience.

http://www.hengedocks.com/

My Boss has one and he is totally in love with it. Uses it with his Mid 2012? Macbook Pro with all ports utilized.
 
I think the aforementioned option (when it ships) is your best bet for having a PC-like docking setup (I do Mac support in a primarily PC environment, so I get asked about docks all the time). The other one you might want to look at is the Belkin Thunderbolt Dock:

http://www.belkin.com/sg/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=680386

Unfortunately, it's one video port and an optical audio port short of what you need, but it recreates the interfaces, rather than just giving you a pass-through connection.
 
ecschwarz said:
I think the aforementioned option (when it ships) is your best bet for having a PC-like docking setup (I do Mac support in a primarily PC environment, so I get asked about docks all the time). The other one you might want to look at is the Belkin Thunderbolt Dock:

http://www.belkin.com/sg/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=680386

Unfortunately, it's one video port and an optical audio port short of what you need, but it recreates the interfaces, rather than just giving you a pass-through connection.
Click to expand...

It has two thunderbolt ports in the pic. I've read mixed reviews though. And yea no optical.
 
WorldIRC said:
It has two thunderbolt ports in the pic. I've read mixed reviews though. And yea no optical.
Click to expand...

Yeah - one is actually the upstream Thunderbolt port so only one would be available for video purposes. It mostly provides the same capabilities as the Thunderbolt Display, minus the display portion.

Something like this really would work best for you, but it seems that there's ongoing issues with OS X and DisplayLink devices as a whole:

http://www.amazon.com/Display-Unive...4913380&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+port+replicator

http://www.displaylink.com/shop/docks

More reading about DisplayLink device issues: http://www.displaylink.com/support/mac_downloads.php
 
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ecschwarz said:
Yeah - one is actually the upstream Thunderbolt port so only one would be available for video purposes. It mostly provides the same capabilities as the Thunderbolt Display, minus the display portion.

Something like this really would work best for you, but it seems that there's ongoing issues with OS X and DisplayLink devices as a whole:

http://www.amazon.com/Display-Unive...4913380&sr=8-1&keywords=anker+port+replicator

http://www.displaylink.com/shop/docks

More reading about DisplayLink device issues: http://www.displaylink.com/support/mac_downloads.php
Click to expand...

On the Belkin, could I not just use those ports both for DisplayPort purposes? I don't have Thunderbolt devices...
 
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WorldIRC said:
On the Belkin, could I not just use those ports both for DisplayPort purposes? I don't have Thunderbolt devices...
Click to expand...

One of those connects the whole dock the computer. Unlike a lot of other docks, this ignores the existing ports and interfaces already on your computer - one Thunderbolt cable connects the dock to the computer. The circuitry in the dock actually includes a USB "card", a FireWire "card", a sound "card", and an ethernet "card", with a Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort pass-through. In theory, if every port on your MacBook failed except a Thunderbolt port, this could bypass those and recreate them. It also could allow Belkin to create newer models with additional interfaces (or using USB 3 on a USB 2 Mac that has Thunderbolt).

I know most PCs have some sort of docking connector that duplicates signals for things like USB, ethernet, power, and video in one convenient location. Since there isn't such a product (hasn't been since the days of the PowerBook Duos), you either have to connect to each port on the computer or recreate them.
 
ecschwarz said:
One of those connects the whole dock the computer. Unlike a lot of other docks, this ignores the existing ports and interfaces already on your computer - one Thunderbolt cable connects the dock to the computer. The circuitry in the dock actually includes a USB "card", a FireWire "card", a sound "card", and an ethernet "card", with a Thunderbolt/Mini DisplayPort pass-through. In theory, if every port on your MacBook failed except a Thunderbolt port, this could bypass those and recreate them. It also could allow Belkin to create newer models with additional interfaces (or using USB 3 on a USB 2 Mac that has Thunderbolt).

I know most PCs have some sort of docking connector that duplicates signals for things like USB, ethernet, power, and video in one convenient location. Since there isn't such a product (hasn't been since the days of the PowerBook Duos), you either have to connect to each port on the computer or recreate them.
Click to expand...

Oh. They use one of those to connect? Figured there may be another thunder bolt on the side or something to connect to the computer.
 
How about a Caldigit TB dock?

I returned my Belkin one within two weeks of using it.
First, the USB ports only operated at 2.5Gb/s each.
Second, it fried sometime into its second week.

My Caldigit one works fine (a few months already) and the USB ports operate at the full 5Gb/s bandwidth.
 
WorldIRC said:
Oh. They use one of those to connect? Figured there may be another thunder bolt on the side or something to connect to the computer.
Click to expand...

Nah, there's a little notch underneath so you can route the cable underneath and to the front in case you wanted to have the dock facing towards or away your computer...
 
ecschwarz said:
Nah, there's a little notch underneath so you can route the cable underneath and to the front in case you wanted to have the dock facing towards or away your computer...
Click to expand...

Ah. Then yes that dock wouldn't work for me.
 
WorldIRC said:
Hi Guys,

Coming from Lenovo, having a dock is a pretty standard thing. Get to work, attach your laptop to the dock, everything is connected.

What alternatives are recommended for the 15" rMBP? I've read mixed reviews with the Belkin dock.

What I am connecting:

2x Monitors (not Thunderbolt daisy chainable) - DVI

Sound System - Since it is optical, I may just continue using the rMBP's optical port

Printer
Click to expand...

Honestly, I'd advise against getting a docking solution for an rmbp. You are plugging in 4 devices + power. Takes less than 5 seconds to plug in. I'd get an extra charger, so you have one for work and home. Then, just plug each device in directly.

You can also get a USB hub, so you only have to plug in one USB port for multiple devices. If you can deal with a drop in audio quality, there are bluetooth transmitters that can turn any audio source into a bluetooth device. Printers also can be plugged into many routers directly or have wifi built in.
 
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