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Other World Computing USB 3.0 Thunderbolt 2 Dock

Amazing Iceman

Amazing Iceman

macrumors 603
Original poster
Nov 8, 2008
6,104
5,104
Florida, U.S.A.
I'm considering the possibility of getting this device for my iMac 21.5" mid-2011.
I know my iMac only supports Thunderbolt and not Thunderbolt 2, but I do need the USB 3.0 and HDMI ports it offers.

I'm just thinking about getting a new iMac in the future (> 1 - 2 years), and I could use this dock with it.

My questions are:
1) Is Apple going to get rid of Thunderbolt and replacing it with something else?

2) Will Thunderbolt 2 be old by that time?

Thank you in advance for your feedback.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
My questions are:
1) Is Apple going to get rid of Thunderbolt and replacing it with something else?
Click to expand...

Apple will be keeping Thunderbolt for some years to come. My guess is that Thunderbolt will remain on the iMacs and Pro model machines, and left off the MacBook that was just released because most people don't use Thunderbolt.

Next up is Thunderbolt 3, which may rear its head at the end of the year.

2) Will Thunderbolt 2 be old by that time?
Click to expand...

I'm using Thunderbolt1 storage devices with my Thunderbolt2-enabled iMac Retina, so they will still give me years of value to come.
 
Amazing Iceman said:
I'm considering the possibility of getting this device for my iMac 21.5" mid-2011. I know my iMac only supports Thunderbolt and not Thunderbolt 2, but I do need the USB 3.0 and HDMI ports it offers. I'm just thinking about getting a new iMac in the future (> 1 - 2 years), and I could use this dock with it. My questions are:1) Is Apple going to get rid of Thunderbolt and replacing it with something else? 2) Will Thunderbolt 2 be old by that time? Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Click to expand...

The first question is unknowable. No one knows where Apple will go with their future ports.

The second question is "it will be OLD but will still be as fast as it is today."

My personal thought on your issue is that I would wait and buy the dock or hub at the time I bought the future iMac, so that you know for sure the ports are aligned with the same technological time frame.
 
matreya said:
Apple will be keeping Thunderbolt for some years to come. My guess is that Thunderbolt will remain on the iMacs and Pro model machines, and left off the MacBook that was just released because most people don't use Thunderbolt.

Next up is Thunderbolt 3, which may rear its head at the end of the year.



I'm using Thunderbolt1 storage devices with my Thunderbolt2-enabled iMac Retina, so they will still give me years of value to come.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your feedback. So I'm wondering if I should spend $120 more to get the Thunderbolt 2 on an iMac that only supports Thunderbolt, just because of being able to use it on a future iMac with Thunderbolt 2.

----------
larrysing1963 said:
The first question is unknowable. No one knows where Apple will go with their future ports.

The second question is "it will be OLD but will still be as fast as it is today."

My personal thought on your issue is that I would wait and buy the dock or hub at the time I bought the future iMac, so that you know for sure the ports are aligned with the same technological time frame.
Click to expand...

So do you agree that at this time it will make sense to spend $130 on a Thunderbolt dock instead of $250 on a Thunderbolt 2 port that I may not be able to use at its fullest for the next two years?
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Thanks for your feedback. So I'm wondering if I should spend $120 more to get the Thunderbolt 2 on an iMac that only supports Thunderbolt, just because of being able to use it on a future iMac with Thunderbolt 2.
----------

So do you agree that at this time it will make sense to spend $130 on a Thunderbolt dock instead of $250 on a Thunderbolt 2 port that I may not be able to use at its fullest for the next two years?
Click to expand...

As long as the $130 device you are buying NOW provides you the connections you need NOW, then that is the best logical and financial choice. :apple:
 
TB will be here for a long time. Firewire stuff is still being sold :)

The OWC TB dock may not be the best performing dock, but may be OK for you. I've used both the TB1 and TB2 version of the Startech Dock and they are more solid performers. If you use the audio out of the TB1 version you may get a pop on sleep and wake, just like all the others except the Startech TB2 unit.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1831181/

TB2 is noticeably faster more responsive for disk intense and RAID0 applications, but otherwise get the ports you need.

http://www.provantage.com/scripts/s...derbolt+Docking+Station&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0

The elgato dock at OWC for $140 seems to be a great deal, however.

There are other reasons to buy TB2 docks beside performance.. In general, the TB2 docks are newer products with newer chipsets and have incorporated improvements and fixes besides the increased speed. They seem to work better than TB1 docks.
 
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ColdCase said:
TB will be here for a long time. Firewire stuff is still being sold :)

The OWC TB dock may not be the best performing dock, but may be OK for you. I've used both the TB1 and TB2 version of the Startech Dock and they are more solid performers. If you use the audio out of the TB1 version you may get a pop on sleep and wake, just like all the others except the Startech TB2 unit.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1831181/

TB2 is noticeably faster more responsive for disk intense and RAID0 applications, but otherwise get the ports you need.

http://www.provantage.com/scripts/s...derbolt+Docking+Station&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0

The elgato dock at OWC for $140 seems to be a great deal, however.

There are other reasons to buy TB2 docks beside performance.. In general, the TB2 docks are newer products with newer chipsets and have incorporated improvements and fixes besides the increased speed. They seem to work better than TB1 docks.
Click to expand...

What do you think about this Dock?
https://eshop.macsales.com/preorder/OWC-Thunderbolt2-Dock/

According to its specs, it seems very good.
 
Thats the OWC TB2 dock I mentioned. It seems to be their first TB dock product and had some infancy issues which may have been cleared up by now. There is a thread here with reviews.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1835376/

Personally I think the Startech TB2 Dock performs better and is the same price, but if you want maximum USB ports, and don't care about eSata or digital audio, the OWC dock is decent.

I think any of the TB docks are decent, just pick one that suits your interface best. TB2 docks are better performers than TB1 docks.
 
I'd give thunderbolt a "lifespan" of perhaps 2-4 years more on iMacs, MBPro's, and Minis.

Maybe longer on the Mac Pro model.

Eventually, it's going to go the way of firewire. How many Macs are currently being sold with firewire ports? Granted, thunderbolt has more uses than firewire, but relatively few Mac buyers are actually -using- these capabilities, and USB3.1 (and further upcoming iterations of USB and displayport) will probably co-opt some of thunderbolt's "fire".

Having said that, if you plan on replacing your current iMac with a new one in, say, three years -- it probably makes sense to get the thunderbolt2 dock. You could see 8-10 years of use from it...
 
Fishrrman said:
I'd give thunderbolt a "lifespan" of perhaps 2-4 years more on iMacs, MBPro's, and Minis.

Maybe longer on the Mac Pro model.

Eventually, it's going to go the way of firewire. How many Macs are currently being sold with firewire ports? Granted, thunderbolt has more uses than firewire, but relatively few Mac buyers are actually -using- these capabilities, and USB3.1 (and further upcoming iterations of USB and displayport) will probably co-opt some of thunderbolt's "fire".

Having said that, if you plan on replacing your current iMac with a new one in, say, three years -- it probably makes sense to get the thunderbolt2 dock. You could see 8-10 years of use from it...
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice. Now I need to figure out if the OWC would be the best choice in the long run.
 
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Only if you want more eSATA and fewer USB ports. There was quite a bit of discussion a month or so ago.
 
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