Kickstarter Project - Hub+ for Retina Macbook

[stanmac]

this is so slick and useful. Already backed one.

 

[ctyrider]

They've posted in the comments of their Kickstarter page that the reason why USB 3 isn't supported is "because there is no stable chip set to support USB-C to USB-A 3.0".

And yet, somehow Apple has done USB-C to USB3.1 in their Multiport Adapters, which works like a charm.

As others have said - USB2 ports in 2015 make this thing a giant waste of money.

Apple's Digital Multiport Adapter is still the best game in town when it comes to rMB dock solutions.

 

[stanmac]

this is really cool. so far the best looking and matching hub to a rMB. of course a USB3.1 will be good.
A USB2 works so far for me as i don't boot from external hard disk or frequently do huge files transfer.
If the price can come down a little, i believe it will entice customer like us to get a few to be place at home, office etc.

backed for the project. hope to receive it soon!

 

[Bleh5]

Backed. Wondering if your prototyping is only the internals? Or do you also have a prototype with the external casing?

 

[RUGGLES99]

This is BS and they know the moneyed fan boys will chip in big-time. I'd wait until legit guys like Belkin, monoprice etc do it. My opinion is anyone who bought into this has been suckered.

 

[pookitoo]

Everyone want a different hub i think ! for me :

The same form factor than the kickstarter project but with usb 3 for the 2 port, hdmi in place of display port, and rj45 in place of card reader

 

[fallsilent]

Waste of money!

I checked out the Kickstarter page before I read any comments here. My first impressions were "Wow!! this thing is great!!" Then I read the specs and noticed USB 2.0. What a huge disappointment. I'm not an electronics engineer but I do realize that Apple has USB 3.1 Gen 1 in their USB-C multi-port adapter so why is it that difficult for others to replicate? I also don't care whatever the excuse is in the post above for not having USB 3.0, the fact is Hub+ is a mere paperweight without it so why are they scamming people into buying this old technology? Until USB 3 comes to Hub+ it's a waste of money. Let's face it, it's 2015 not 2001.

 

[tutux]

I checked out the Kickstarter page before I read any comments here. My first impressions were "Wow!! this thing is great!!" Then I read the specs and noticed USB 2.0. What a huge disappointment. I'm not an electronics engineer but I do realize that Apple has USB 3.1 Gen 1 in their USB-C multi-port adapter so why is it that difficult for others to replicate? I also don't care whatever the excuse is in the post above for not having USB 3.0, the fact is Hub+ is a mere paperweight without it so why are they scamming people into buying this old technology? Until USB 3 comes to Hub+ it's a waste of money. Let's face it, it's 2015 not 2001.

just read the answer of the guy, who explain why they can't, and how apple managed it...

basically, the adapter from apple uses 1 chip / feature, no hub.

usb-c usb A 3.0 used with the hub feature is still not available/stable

 

[ucfgrad93]

Looks pretty nice. I'm not surprised to see them well above their goal.

 

[ZipZap]

just read the answer of the guy, who explain why they can't, and how apple managed it...

basically, the adapter from apple uses 1 chip / feature, no hub.

usb-c usb A 3.0 used with the hub feature is still not available/stable

Do you mean 1 chip per port? Otherwise I don't understand you.

In either case, how expensive could those chips be?

The issue here is that the company is ready for production and does not want to go back to design. They made decisions that in hindsight were not good. I don't even think this hub was truly intended for the Macbook.

 

[fallsilent]

just read the answer of the guy, who explain why they can't, and how apple managed it...

basically, the adapter from apple uses 1 chip / feature, no hub.

usb-c usb A 3.0 used with the hub feature is still not available/stable

Thanks for the explanation but that dude could have said he would have to slaughter a thousand yellow lab puppies in order to get USB 3.0 working on his Hub+ and I would still say that's no excuse for not having it. Given how advanced technology is these days there is no reason for USB 3.0 not to be present. Using USB 2.0 is a cost saving measure and a copout. Furthermore, if they are admitting to be still looking for a suitable solution to add USB 3.0 why are they rushing to release a sub-par product anyway? I will pass on this one.

 

[ctyrider]

just read the answer of the guy, who explain why they can't, and how apple managed it...

basically, the adapter from apple uses 1 chip / feature, no hub.

usb-c usb A 3.0 used with the hub feature is still not available/stable

Sorry but this makes exactly zero sense. Apple may be using individual chipsets for different ports, but their Miltiport Adapter is still a hub. As in - you connect it to rMB via one USB-C port, and the Adapter breaks it out into 3 ports - USB-C charging port, HDMI video and USB3.1 port. That USB3.1 port can in turn be connected to another USB3 hub for multiple USB3 output ports.

Explain to me again - why this solution cannot be replicated within a single piece of hardware?

I understand the makers of Hub+ have made the choice to release USB2 solution to cut costs or whatever other reasons. But there is nothing *technically* impossible in releasing proper USB3 dock, as evident from Apple's solution.

For this reason - Apple's Multiport Adapter is a lot better way to spend your $79 than this product.

 

[squirrrl]

Sorry but this makes exactly zero sense. Apple may be using individual chipsets for different ports, but their Miltiport Adapter is still a hub. As in - you connect it to rMB via one USB-C port, and the Adapter breaks it out into 3 ports - USB-C charging port, HDMI video and USB3.1 port. That USB3.1 port can in turn be connected to another USB3 hub for multiple USB3 output ports.

Explain to me again - why this solution cannot be replicated within a single piece of hardware?

I understand the makers of Hub+ have made the choice to release USB2 solution to cut costs or whatever other reasons. But there is nothing *technically* impossible in releasing proper USB3 dock, as evident from Apple's solution.

For this reason - Apple's Multiport Adapter is a lot better way to spend your $79 than this product.

I guess it depends who you ask. If you're constantly using your USB, a rMB with only one port probably isn't the computer you'd want to begin with. That said, if I had $79 to spend on something, I would rather have a hub like the one these guys are making than the one from Apple. I can wait the little extra time to transfer data in the very few times I need to transfer data (My back-ups are wireless). I had to buy one of the VGA Apple converters because I do presentations and unfortunately our projector we use at work is ancient. Otherwise, I would have bought this product (if it had VGA) because it has the nice benefit of an extra battery and it's pretty small to begin with.

As it is, while I think it's a nice product (yes, better if it has USB 3.1) I don't actually need a bunch of ports, which is why I don't think that it's a big deal that the rMB only has USB-C.

 

[ctyrider]

if I had $79 to spend on something, I would rather have a hub like the one these guys are making than the one from Apple.

[..]

As it is, while I think it's a nice product (yes, better if it has USB 3.1) I don't actually need a bunch of ports

So you don't need a bunch of ports, but you'd rather spend your $79 on a dock with 3x USB2 ports, which doesn't even exist yet (and who knows when it will).. Rather than spending the same amount on a shipping product that gives your super-fast USB3.1 data port (which can be expanded into many more USB3 ports), along with HD video and charging??

It's your money and you can spend it however you want, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

[squirrrl]

So you don't need a bunch of ports, but you'd rather spend your $79 on a dock with 3x USB2 ports, which doesn't even exist yet (and who knows when it will).. Rather than spending the same amount on a shipping product that gives your super-fast USB3.1 data port (which can be expanded into many more USB3 ports), along with HD video and charging??

It's your money and you can spend it however you want, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

woah.. easy there buddy. First, I'm not buying this product because i doesn't have VGA, which is the only port I actually need to do my work. I'm just saying, that IF they had a VGA, I would buy their product because it has the extra battery addition which I think would be nice (especially during travel where I might not be able to get to a plug). Yes there are other, more powerful portable chargers I could buy, but I'm just saying, for me, that's an added bonus. In any case, this hub product still connects to the wall charger, so it's not like you don't get charging with it.

And for me, personally, I don't transfer my data or files using USB that often, so I don't need USB3.1. and yes, all the extra USB ports would be useless to me in this product as well.

EDIT: Actually, thinking about it, I could use my current dp to vga connector in this Hub+ thing, so I might be able to use it in any case. But since I had my work pay for the Apple converter already (since i need it for work), it's no skin off my back.

EDIT#2: Plus, I just noticed that they offer a USB-C to USBA-3.1 bonus adaptor along with the first pledges, so if you really need that extra transfer speed, there you have it.

 

[ZipZap]

So you don't need a bunch of ports, but you'd rather spend your $79 on a dock with 3x USB2 ports, which doesn't even exist yet (and who knows when it will).. Rather than spending the same amount on a shipping product that gives your super-fast USB3.1 data port (which can be expanded into many more USB3 ports), along with HD video and charging??

It's your money and you can spend it however you want, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I think most people here would rather not give Apple anymore money.

My only concern is by the time these guys deliver their hub, other players will have hubs that will likely exceed the capabilities of this first to market product.

I have to wonder why this hub with the older technology is so expensive. $79 seems excessiive.

 

[nrubenstein]

This would be interesting with an integrated power adapter. But as long as I have to carry two bricks, it's not interesting to me.

 

[steinb]

A lot of new MacBook owners would love to see an apple like power supply with some USB ports.

BTW: What I like about the Hub+ is that there is cable between the hub and the macbook that can be replaced by a longer one.

My wishlist for a dock would be:
- Integrated Power Supply
- 2m detachable USB-C Cable to connect the MacBook
- 1 GBit Ethernet Port
- 1 or 2 USB 3.0 Ports
- 1 Mini Displayport

 

[gglockner]

This is too fishy for me:

• It's a very ambitious (risky) design with many ports, small size, yet still includes a battery
• NONDA has no proven track record
• They say they are based in Palo Alto CA with a "chief designer" in Germany
• They got 9 people to pledge $4K apiece for a gold plated device that will be obsolete in a year or two

It also makes little sense from a marketing perspective. If I want portability, I don't need multiple concurrent ports. If I need many ports, I don't need portability. And the Retina MacBook is designed for portability.

As others have said, it's only a matter of time until established vendors offer similar USB-C hubs.

 

[DanielNTX]

I like a matching CNC shell if it looks good next the rMB.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

just read the answer of the guy, who explain why they can't, and how apple managed it...

basically, the adapter from apple uses 1 chip / feature, no hub.

usb-c usb A 3.0 used with the hub feature is still not available/stable

This. Apple basically is using a single USB-C / USB-A adapter chip on theirs to get the one USB 3.0 output. Note the USB-C out on the multi-adapter is for power only.

This product is much more like it, a lot closer to what I had envisioned a little portable hub should look like. Would have liked to see a more rectangular with round corners type of design, and maybe slightly thicker and not as wide. Maybe offer multiple configurations like versions with less USB and an Ethernet or HDMI.

That said, this looks like one of the more solid efforts so far, well done!

 

[tutux]

+1 battery useless but charger needed!
My dream ( i give it away for free ) is:
Charger sized like apple's charger with on it:
2 * usb 3
Mini display port which can accept the vga dongle i already have
Hdmi
Ethernet
1* usb c to go to the macbook (29w charging)

79$ with a 2m usb c cable and i'm with you (two times one for office plus one to take in the bag)
No need for metal case just a nice plastic as apple uses for chargers.

 

[steinb]

+1 battery useless but charger needed!
My dream ( i give it away for free ) is:
Charger sized like apple's charger with on it:
2 * usb 3
Mini display port which can accept the vga dongle i already have
Hdmi
Ethernet
1* usb c to go to the macbook (29w charging)

79$ with a 2m usb c cable and i'm with you (two times one for office plus one to take in the bag)
No need for metal case just a nice plastic as apple uses for chargers.

As you can see this is almost like my wish list. there is a marked you can already sell two!

 

[Alekto]

I don't see that 80 bucks is prohibitively expensive? Am I missing something?

 

[Kars]

Please add Ethernet port too.....i need it very much