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Dongle thread for the new Macbook Pro's
- Thread starter Grolubao
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Though it's not ideal, I don't really understand posts like these. At every point in time when standards are changing, there is an awkward transition phase, this is one of them. Soon it will all iron out.
[doublepost=1478044728][/doublepost]On topic, I'm thinking of getting this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BC-Master-...7795803&sr=8-10&keywords=Bc+master+usb+c&th=1
I really need some USB ports + HDMI port, but this one has no reviews, so I'm skeptical. Any suggestions?
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I'm considering the following setup for my office desk:
This solution is cheaper than other hubs that require an Apple power adapter for pass-through charging (considering the high cost of the Apple charger), and also cheaper and more versatile than buying a $700 LG UltraFine USB-C display.
- Dell P2415Q 24" retina 4K display ($440)
- CalDigit USB-C Dock ($150)
- DisplayPort cable from dock to display ($15)
This solution is cheaper than other hubs that require an Apple power adapter for pass-through charging (considering the high cost of the Apple charger), and also cheaper and more versatile than buying a $700 LG UltraFine USB-C display.
- Could be a good option, and it will do 4K 60 Hz (though not before a special firmware installation for the dock). But keep in mind that USB speeds will drop to USB 2.0 when using a monitor at 4K 60 Hz from the dock. Other ports might be reduced in speed as well.
Has anyone seen a good hub that has
- 4 USB type A
- SD card reader
- Power / charging
- 4K video out
?
I've seen a lot (Minix, Satechi, HooToo, etc) that have 3 USB-A outs, but I have 4 USB peripherals I want to perma-hub on my desk for maximum happiness.
- 4 USB type A
- SD card reader
- Power / charging
- 4K video out
?
I've seen a lot (Minix, Satechi, HooToo, etc) that have 3 USB-A outs, but I have 4 USB peripherals I want to perma-hub on my desk for maximum happiness.
The CalDigit tech specs only mention "Special Firmware Required" for 4k/60Hz in a footnote of the the "Windows" section, I therefor assumed it's a firmware for Windows computers, not for the dock itself?
As for USB speeds dropping, I'm aware of that but that seems to be a technical limitation all docks will deal with. Plus, as I'd end up with a spare USB-C port on the MBP, I could use that port if I'd need higher USB speeds.
This seems like the best deal so far
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- Hm. And the Mac section doesn't mention 4K 60 Hz at all, only 30 Hz. I would think the firmware is for the dock.
All plain USB-C docks will suffer from those limitations, yes. A Thunderbolt 3 dock won't and will do everything all at once at full speed.
Unfortunately the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 dock is currently priced at $430. Guess that price will drop to $200 in a year.
Yea, I remember when CD drives were being phased out, and I had all these back up and video CDs. I was in a bind about how to deal with that, lol.
If Apple sold OS X licenses, I would be quite happy paying $hundreds for an OS X license, and running it on significantly nicer hardware. But they don't, so I can't buy "something else" if I need the OS.
... which is why I have been gradually getting habituated to Windows systems, because I think Apple no longer wants the users that the MBP line was originally aimed at.
If Apple offered, for the same price, a machine that was twice the thickness and weight of the current 15" MBP, and it was identical except that it had Ethernet and Firewire ports, I'd have bought it, and I'd be happier. And I mean identical, no extra battery life or anything. If it had the increased battery life and better cooling and thus lower fan noise that would logically result from the extra space, I would be willing to pay more for it, because it would be a much better machine. Thickness and weight are not issues for me; performance and functionality are.
Ethernet has not gone away, and I don't expect it to. 100Mbps ethernet is, in practice, significantly faster than the real-world performance of "150Mbps" wireless. 1Gbps ethernet is incredibly fast by comparison, and if you actually need the network, gosh is it nice having the performance.
And I still have uses for Firewire, even if it's not as mainstream as it used to be.
And someone else already pointed it out, but Apple's why ADB was ever a thing in the first place, it's their own port that I don't think anyone else ever used.
Apple could absolutely have done what they did in previous generations, providing new ports and old ports both, especially in their top-of-the-line machines.
[doublepost=1478063519][/doublepost]So, long ago, for reasons, I ended up wanting to do some writing about Linux running on the Cell processor in the PS3, and as a result, I ended up on a forum full of rabid Sony fans.
And when the PS3 came out, it had no rumble feature in its controllers, because of a lawsuit that was ongoing at the time. And the forumgoers were essentially unanimous; this was an advantage. It made the system better. Rumble was a "last-gen" feature that no one wanted, and having it would detract from the elegance of the system's design.
Later, once the lawsuit got resolved, Sony introduced a new "dualshock" controller for the PS3. And there was immediately a thread full of people posting screen shots of their receipts for mail-ordering imports from Japan, because this was the best thing ever, it was a great feature that really made games better.
And many years ago, MacAddict had an article on how a new Mac had made the very wise choice to not have an AGP slot, but rather, to go with a 66MHz PCI slot, because that improved compatibility with other PCI cards you might want to put in, instead of the video card, and so on and so forth. And when the next model had an AGP slot, they praised it for having gone with the industry standard and making it easier to find and buy video cards.
And I'm seeing a lot of that here. I'm seeing people tell me that lacking a feature is a big advantage and shows "vision". No, it's not an advantage. And it doesn't show "vision" unless that vision is "we want the software developers to go develop for someone else". I know lots of developers, and by and large, they're all pretty annoyed by the loss of functionality they cared about, and would be fine with slightly thicker laptops that had more functionality and more ports for compatibility with stuff.
And this creates a lot of frustration on this forum, because there's a constant tension between people who want to be happy about anything Apple does, no matter what it is, and people who love some of the things Apple hardware and software do, and want to try to identify and resolve problems they might have. So I look at the new machine and think about what it's going to cost (both in dollars and complexity and packing of gizmos) to have the functionality I want if I get one of these machines. And I want to talk to people about that, because there's lots of other people facing the same issues.
And then our conversations get swamped by people telling us that Apple's fine and we need to stop wasting everyone's time implying that we might know how we like to use our computers.
Meanwhile, their conversations about how cool this stuff is and how happy they are with it keep getting interrupted by people who aren't that happy.
Maybe the forums need an "advocacy" group so the people who want to talk about how everything's perfect and there are zero problems with every new release can do that, and the people who want to talk about how to get their real-world tasks done with the machines that Apple chooses to ship can do that, and we won't keep stepping on each other.
Apparently this guy is reviewing USB-C cables based on whether or not they follow USB C spec since he worked on the Chromebook. https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A25GROL6KJV3QG
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After going through the entire thread and looking at most of the options people put up....
Going with buying a few cheap dongles and a cheap USB c hub with USB a ports.
And in 3+ months look at the options for a single hub to replace all the dongles.
All the current hub options either have something missing or cost way too much.
Almost bought a hub posted in here yesterday, it didn't have Ethernet, which at the time I didn't care. Until I remembered that I *do* use Ethernet on my current 13" MBP sometimes. Granted 99% of the time it's outside the house.. and I doubt I'd haul the hub with me. My old wireless laser printer is much easier to setup over direct Ethernet connection than trying to do it any other way.
Going with buying a few cheap dongles and a cheap USB c hub with USB a ports.
And in 3+ months look at the options for a single hub to replace all the dongles.
All the current hub options either have something missing or cost way too much.
Almost bought a hub posted in here yesterday, it didn't have Ethernet, which at the time I didn't care. Until I remembered that I *do* use Ethernet on my current 13" MBP sometimes. Granted 99% of the time it's outside the house.. and I doubt I'd haul the hub with me. My old wireless laser printer is much easier to setup over direct Ethernet connection than trying to do it any other way.
I will tell you about it, once i received my Macbook as well as the Dongle
Yes sir.
Costs around 80€ on Amazon. it's a pricy adapter, but at least I'm getting all of my ports.
Thank you for the tip.
I think it work out for me. I would only use the Ethernet-port in class, elsewhere I'm going for wireless connection.
Already read about the driver. It should be easy to find. I'm sure i will get it to work and would be pleased.
Yes sir.
it's a pricy adapter, but at least I'm getting all of my ports.
Which adapter are you talking about? I was more referring to the thread in general. Maybe it could be made a Sticky and someone could make a list of all the dongles/adapters mentioned and their prices. Even include the website link. Would make things a lot easier for those looking to find one.
That would be awesome.
Well in my case I was talking about the Minix Neo C Dongle:
http://minix.com.hk/de/produkte/neo-c-usb-c-multiport-adapter#
On Amazon it's actually almost 90€ now:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01ANITHVQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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That would be awesome.
Well in my case I was talking about the Minix Neo C Dongle:
http://minix.com.hk/de/produkte/neo-c-usb-c-multiport-adapter#
On Amazon it's actually almost 90€ now:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01ANITHVQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Looks nice but it's $114 CDN. Way too expensive. Make it half that price and I'd be okay. To me if I'm paying $2,000+ for a laptop (or desktop) I shouldn't even need one of these things.
This one is at least a better price and has a better overall rating.
https://www.amazon.com/Satechi-Alum...1478072611&sr=8-2&keywords=satechi+usb+c&th=1
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You are absolutely right!
I would love to use this beauty without any dongles. But that's not how Apple think.
Apple want's to gain some good cash on their machines and their accessories.
As far as the Laptop goes I'm fine and I paid for it. But no way that I buy every single Adapter from the Apple store for 20-90€.
I also ordered the power-extention cable which isn't included anymore. (20€)
But with that I am done. I've got one dongle to rule them all and i can get Power (almost) everywhere.
I would love to use this beauty without any dongles. But that's not how Apple think.
Apple want's to gain some good cash on their machines and their accessories.
As far as the Laptop goes I'm fine and I paid for it. But no way that I buy every single Adapter from the Apple store for 20-90€.
I also ordered the power-extention cable which isn't included anymore. (20€)
But with that I am done.
I've got one dongle to rule them all and i can get Power (almost) everywhere. Sorry but I'm a designer and a photographer, I need a true PRO machine for "this time" I'm working, I'm not student working from a coffee shop and I can update my computer at any point in time but looks like everyone needs a dongle right out the gate to make anything work for this machine now. I think the part you don't understand is that for "right now" and probably for the next 5 years I will need an SD card port in my machine and so will every other photographer and content producer. When you are out in a remote location in Turkey snapping pictures and you carry limited baggage carrying a stupid "dongle" to transfer photos to your supposed "Pro" machine is retarded. If you are traveling in Africa and need to print something good luck finding a USB-C printer at the hotel.
What you don't understand is the stark difference between a regular user and a true pro user who needs to connect devices and travel. This Pro line is what the regular MacBook should have been.
And up till this MacBook Pro update Apple has always been proper with their offering for Pro users.
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Was CalDigit the really good one or the 2nd rate one? Someone posted a link the other day, but I'd forgotten to bookmark the post. From what I remember, one dock was posted and told it was awful and CalDigit and another one came up. Three letter brand...
Speaking of hubs, is Anker for a PC environment any good?
The Google engineer. He's been covered by the press!
Speaking of hubs, is Anker for a PC environment any good?
The Google engineer. He's been covered by the press!
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TBQH, an all in one mega dongle wouldve completely made sense for Apple to release rather than each single thing by itself.What would have make more sense would have been to limp along with my 2012 for another six months until adapter/dock situation has resolved itself.
But really my point was (and I hate to use this term), a lot of "Pro" users need all this stuff. It would have been nice if Apple at least had had all its ducks in a row before releasing the new MBP.
This is the guy that convinced me not to buy anything. He doesn't have a review of either USB-C hubs or USB-C to USB-A female adapters and looking at the number of faulty USB-C cables on Amazon it looks like everything is garbage that could fry the MBP.
I'll go with Apple's own USB adapter for now and look for a 4K60P HDMI adapter later.
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- CalDigit USB-C dock is the good one. OWC is less capable, but not sure it's actually awful.