OWC Debuts $279 Thunderbolt 3 Dock With 13 Ports

[MacRumors]

OWC today introduced its latest product, a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C Dock designed to work with the newly announced MacBook Pro. Designed for users who are concerned about the limited number of ports on the MacBook Pro, OWC's Thunderbolt 3 Dock offers a range of different ports for connecting displays, external hard drives, and other accessories.

The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock has a total of 13 ports and it includes full support for Thunderbolt 3 with transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s. Two Ultra HD 4K displays are supported, or a combination of 4K, HD, and other displays using the DisplayPort port and the Thunderbolt 3 port.

There are two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, each of which can support up to five daisychained Thunderbolt 3 devices. For connecting USB accessories, there are five USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 ports that support USB-A accessories, and two of the ports feature fast charging capabilities for charging the iPhone or iPad.

Other ports include FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, mini DisplayPort, an SD Card reader, an audio combo port for headphones or microphones, and an S/PDIF digital audio port.

"With our critically-acclaimed Thunderbolt 2 Dock and USB-C Dock, OWC defined a new standard in providing more connectivity at a time when new computers were shipping with fewer ports," said Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, OWC. "The all-new Thunderbolt 3 Dock is the best expansion solution we've ever made, offering the incredible speed of Thunderbolt 3 technology coupled with 13 ports of connectivity, perfect for getting the most out of the new 2016 MacBook Pro."

Announced last week, Apple's new MacBook Pro models include between two and four USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, eliminating all other ports aside from the headphone jack. Most new MacBook Pro owners will need to purchase adapters and docks to support existing accessories as Apple and accessory makers make the transition to USB-C.

OWC is accepting pre-orders for the Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which is expected to ship out in February of 2017. Customers who pre-order will be able to purchase the dock for $279 and will also receive a free 0.5m Thunderbolt 3/USB-C cable.

Article Link: OWC Debuts $279 Thunderbolt 3 Dock With 13 Ports

 

[Luap]

Apple sure knows how to keep companies like OWC in good business

 

[Greymarch]

Can I hook-up two monitors to this dock? If so, how? Obviously the mini-display port is one of the ports to use for a 2 monitor solution. What is the other port? The 2nd USB-C port?

 

[dixido]

Seems like a nice product, but it sure would suck to spend $279 on top of a already expensive computer just to get the ports one needs.

 

[Fancuku]

Pricey but it looks like it will be a good product with a good amount of ports and support.

 

[JJayguy23]

Should be USB 3.1 Gen 2 like the new MacBook Pros, instead of Gen 1.

 

[rudychidiac]

I'd only need 3 USB A ports, HDMI and thunderbolt 2

 

[soupcan]

And people wonder why USB-C isn't catching on to the general public...

 

[bladerunner2000]

$279 for a hub, LOL.

 

[deadlystriker]

How about support for a single 5k display?

 

[Quu]

Just think of the day they'll be able to integrate all these ports into a real computer! - Man what a future to look forward to.

 

[MrGuder]

Wow 279.00 that's a lot of money for this.

 

[monty77]

Don't get too excited ... current rMB cannot output properly to monitors via USB-C, widespread issue.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/30900245?ac_cid=tw123456#30900245

..if the MBP has the same issue it's pretty much useless until Apple fix it.

 

[akm3]

That's a lot more than a hub. It's a quite capable docking station. King Dongle so to speak.

 

[Kaibelf]

And people wonder why USB-C isn't catching on to the general public...

Um.... because it's very new. It has nothing to do with a single dock loaded with a slew of legacy and seldom-used ports. In fact, I can't think of a single person I know that needs S/PDIF, Firewire, and MDP in one place anymore.

 

[merlyn412]

what about this? $80

https://amzn.com/B01FWT7MFE


I don't need firewire or s/pdif

 

[Creep89]

Can I hook-up two monitors to this dock? If so, how? Obviously the mini-display port is one of the ports to use for a 2 monitor solution. What is the other port? The 2nd USB-C port?

I think so. There are USB-C to DisplayPort cables.

@merlyn412: pretty much useless in my opinion. No DisplayPort means no support for 4K @ 60Hz.

 

[jotwee]

$279 for a hub, LOL.

it's not a hub

 

[redmac]

$279 for a hub, LOL.

This is not a USB-C hub. It's a Thunderbolt 3 dock. If you need a USB-C hub you can find one for under $10.

 

[chfilm]

If I had one of these macbooks, I'd so get this dock.. it finally offers everything you need in one dock, EVEN OPTICAL AUDIO wich has been sorely lacking in all the previews docks I've come across.

 

[Scorder]

Can I hook-up two monitors to this dock? If so, how? Obviously the mini-display port is one of the ports to use for a 2 monitor solution. What is the other port? The 2nd USB-C port?

If display supports daisy chaining you could do that.

 

[BootsWalking]

Next story will be about how Philip Schiller has done market research that proves MacBook Pro owners find it more convenient to buy overpriced port accessories vs having those ports built into the notebook.

 

[Creep89]

If display supports daisy chaining you could do that.

Does Display Chaining finally works? I bought one of those fancy Dell P2715Q hoping that one day Apple will finally support Display Daisy Chaining.

 

[Porco]

I could see that being useful for a TB3 Mac Pro or Mini (or even iMac), but I think the whole dongle/adapter thing is a flawed concept on a laptop.

 

[OWC Josh]

How about support for a single 5k display?

Good news! The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock will support a connection to a 5K display as long as your computer supports 5K displays.