I may upgrade to a 2017 MacBook Pro (32 GB of RAM would be the critical feature), and I'm having the same port questions as everybody else, with one addition. It's not as bad as it used to be, because USB-C SD readers finally exist - meaning that reading a card from my camera involves ONE extra piece, not TWO... USB C cables for older printers and the like are easy enough to find, and docks offer every crucial connection except one...
The item I'm still not sure how to connect is a 30 pound Thunderbolt 2 RAID (It's actually a NAS/DAS hybrid and depends on Thunderbolt's networking capability, which could increase complexity even more, but people are reporting that TB3->TB2->Ethernet seems to work, suggesting that adapters DO support Thunderbolt networking). Since it's a big, heavy machine that isn't going anywhere, I'd rather use a one-piece solution than an adapter that offers another connection to come loose - why use a portable adapter to connect something that's inherently NOT portable?
I'll probably buy a dock for the Mac anyway (and leave the RAID permanently connected to the dock), so I don't care between a dock with a TB2 port for the RAID or a 2 meter TB3->TB2 cable that can stay attached to the dock.
The item I'm still not sure how to connect is a 30 pound Thunderbolt 2 RAID (It's actually a NAS/DAS hybrid and depends on Thunderbolt's networking capability, which could increase complexity even more, but people are reporting that TB3->TB2->Ethernet seems to work, suggesting that adapters DO support Thunderbolt networking). Since it's a big, heavy machine that isn't going anywhere, I'd rather use a one-piece solution than an adapter that offers another connection to come loose - why use a portable adapter to connect something that's inherently NOT portable?
I'll probably buy a dock for the Mac anyway (and leave the RAID permanently connected to the dock), so I don't care between a dock with a TB2 port for the RAID or a 2 meter TB3->TB2 cable that can stay attached to the dock.