HydraDock

[noobinator]

lol at that response.

I'm not sure how stealing someone's product and claiming it as your own is a web based war of words.

I'd delete my pledge if I had one. This sounds all kinds of bad.

 

[themacuser]

Here is another fun link:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2009/04/us-company-steps-in-with-three-new-displays-for-mini-dp-macs/

Kickstarter and indegogo are great websites for entrepreneur, but they are also a place for scam artists to cheat people.

 

[3bs]

Here is another fun link:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2009/04/us-company-steps-in-with-three-new-displays-for-mini-dp-macs/

Kickstarter and indegogo are great websites for entrepreneur, but they are also a place for scam artists to cheat people.

That link doesn't give us an update on what happened after they contacted the company and they vouched for Jack Campbell.

 

[JTToft]

So it appears there's more fishiness going on here than just their lack of technical competence (which was gross enough to warrant significant concern on its own)...

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Glad to see they didn't delete comment calling them out on this but I don't really know what to take from their response:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...11-port-usb-c-dock-for-apple-macbook/comments

"Creator KickShark about 4 hours ago
Hi "tgwaste,"
Yes, Jack is one of our founding team members, and brings about 40 years of development and manufacturing skills to our program — and yes, some controversy from 12 to 15 years ago from a web based "war of words" that still lingers out there to be dug up.
Today, we're proud of the work Jack does for our KickShark clients and are proud to have him on our leadership team. If you have any issues you'd like to discuss, you may contact me directly at mike@kickshark.com .
Sincerely,
Mike Collins, General Manager
KickShark, Inc."

Yeah, it is seriously odd - seems like this Jack character is the worst and in a way most dangerous type of swindler, in that he appears to actually believe himself in his own lies, excuses, and rhetoric he has created through the years. Why else would he continue to believe that it is a good idea to use his own name on all of his ventures, and publicly defend himself with ridiculously far fetched excuses?

A bit sad, really.

 

[noobinator]

Here's a thread on the display they (CinemaView) released:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/882850/

 

[ctyrider]

I am not surprised. This entire thing smells like a vaporware at best and scam at worst.

I have exchanged e-mails with the HydraDock kickstarter creator, and one comment in his response raised my eyebrows. The email response has these two sentences in it:

10 months of development activity in it. Dozens upon dozens of people involved.

What I find incredible is how in the world this product has been in development for 10 months when we knew nothing about rMB back then. Even 9to5mac leak came much later. Did they have some brilliant foresight of MacBook with USB-C being released nearly a year from then? I seriously doubt it. It does take at least 6 months to fully develop a complex piece of hardware based on brand new technology.. And the timing of "HydraDock" promised June release is just too good to be true.

I would not touch this KickStarter with a 10-foot pole.. and if I was a backer - I'd get my money back while I still can.

 

[themacuser]

Since Kickstarter does not require the creator to actually deliver anything, scammers can just pocket the money and disappear. Other scammers might send out some junk to act like they have tried to complete the project.

BTW, The first few levels of rewards are very easy to fulfill. They can be bought from factories in China already. The USB-C to iPhone sync cable can be bought from oversea factories for about $6.00. Good old Jack is charging $24!

The issue here is not whether he is going to deliver the project. This person has such a long history of doing "questionable" things, how can anyone trust this guy with their money is beyond me!

 

[ZebraDude]

Hi everyone,

Hydradock is a complete scam! I tried to contact Kickstarter to warn them, but I got no reply. This guy Jack Campbell has been around for a long time. He has been ripping people off for more than a decade. It's vaporware!

See this link:

http://www.macintouch.com/mactable.html

Please pass the word around , I can’t believe the media are buying into this scam.

I had second thoughts over the weekend and cancelled! Now I am SO Glad!!!

 

[dyn]

So it appears there's more fishiness going on here than just their lack of technical competence (which was gross enough to warrant significant concern on its own)...

That says more about your lack of experience with companies in general. All of the companies I've had experience showed had lack of technical competence when asking questions. The reason for that is rather obvious: it's the wrong people you are asking questions and/or getting answers from. It's usually the people from sales/marketing who try to answer technical questions. When you ask the technicians from that same company you get a completely different answer that actually is correct. If you don't, you run

I've learned long time ago to first ask whom I can ask a certain type of question instead of simply asking the actual question. Gave me much better answers (such as technical correct ones and answers one understands). When it comes to Apple products I know I shouldn't ask any technical question to an APR or anyone from Apple, they won't be able to answer them. Forums and other websites as well as Apple sysadmins are the ones to turn to.

As for the HydraDock, well it looks a lot like the LandingZone and that one is a better dock since you can dock and lock the notebook. I hope they'll come up with a new version for the MacBook.

 

[squirrrl]

As for the HydraDock, well it looks a lot like the LandingZone and that one is a better dock since you can dock and lock the notebook. I hope they'll come up with a new version for the MacBook.

Lol.. yeah it looks like LandingZone is better since they actually make products while HydraDock is a Kickstarter scam.

 

[JTToft]

That says more about your lack of experience with companies in general. All of the companies I've had experience showed had lack of technical competence when asking questions. The reason for that is rather obvious: it's the wrong people you are asking questions and/or getting answers from. It's usually the people from sales/marketing who try to answer technical questions. When you ask the technicians from that same company you get a completely different answer that actually is correct. If you don't, you run

- Right. Well I tend to be of the opinion that it's more their responsibility than mine to ensure that the right people are answering questions for them...

 

[dmitrivich]

Useful, but absolutely hideous.

 

[dyn]

Lol.. yeah it looks like LandingZone is better since they actually make products while HydraDock is a Kickstarter scam.

And they are going to make one for the new MacBook (they announced it on their Twitter account)

- Right. Well I tend to be of the opinion that it's more their responsibility than mine to ensure that the right people are answering questions for them...

It's not about who's responsibility it is, it's about having realistic expectations and preventing yourself from being scammed. Be realistic instead of naive, helps you more in the end.

 

[ZipZap]

Anyone find it odd that they responded to a request for a video showing the dock working with, "We fried both demo units" and won't have new ones for 10 days"

I also don't think people who pledge understand that they are not entitled to a refund once the auction has been funded.

The sponsor must agree to return your money.

 

[3bs]

Anyone find it odd that they responded to a request for a video showing the dock working with, "We fried both demo units" and won't have new ones for 10 days"

I also don't think people who pledge understand that they are not entitled to a refund once the auction has been funded.

The sponsor must agree to return your money.

That's still before the deadline so at least there's that.

 

[iKrivetko]

I'm too OCD for this dock.

Ugh...

 

[brand]

I'm too OCD for this dock.

You might want to research what OCD actually is before claiming you have it because it is obvious that you don't know what it is.

 

[noobinator]

You might want to research what OCD actually is before claiming you have it because it is obvious that you don't know what it is.

Yet you and everyone knows what he is talking about so why bother to make a rude comment?

 

[squirrrl]

Yet you and everyone knows what he is talking about so why bother to make a rude comment?

It was a snarky comment, but I don't know what he meant by his wrong use of OCD. There was no context.

 

[brand]

Yet you and everyone knows what he is talking about so why bother to make a rude comment?

That's quite the assumption in your part. By claiming that he is too OCD for the dock makes it pretty obvious that he doesn't know what he is talking about. If he he doesn't know what he is talking about we have no way to know what he is talking about.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Lol.. yeah it looks like LandingZone is better since they actually make products while HydraDock is a Kickstarter scam.

This. Not only does it tick a lot more boxes, but it is a proper vendor, not a copy cat me too chancer.

 

[squirrrl]

Henge docks are also pretty good. I don't know whether they are making one for the rMB but I'm betting they probably will.

 

[ZipZap]

I'm too OCD for this dock.

Ugh...
Image

An-l retentive is more appropriate. There is a secret message in that configuration of connectors.

 

[iKrivetko]

You might want to research what OCD actually is before claiming you have it because it is obvious that you don't know what it is.

You must be fun at parties.

If you should know, I do have OCD and I do know that it is quite different from how it is described in the form of memes (which was what I was referencing to in the previous post), thank you very much.