OWC Debuts $279 Thunderbolt 3 Dock With 13 Ports

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

It's likely there because some video guys did invest heavily in it some years back. Wouldn't want to leave them out in the cold.

Can also think of it this way. They may add a couple ports that most don't need but the additional cost is minimal and given the choice between a 12 port or 13 port dock, most people are going to go with the one with more. Why not have the extra port there JUST IN CASE you need it at some point?

 

[jwpoof]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

I still do when I have to. Lots of people using audio interfaces need it.

Just because I choose to go bleeding edge, doesn't mean that all of my clients, customers, and contractors will. My main client owns nearly 50 LaCie rugged FW800 drives for shipping footage from the field to post. They aren't interested in replacing all of them overnight, just because it's no longer an optimal port.

Here's the thing about video production and post. New tech may evolve quickly, but in order to maximize profit, you use what works until it doesn't, and a lot of the old stuff still works fine. Companies bought tons of FW800 stuff, and a lot of it still works. Sure, I'm not going to edit to a FW800 drive today, as I have much faster drives available to me, but those FW800 drives can still work as backups, or as a means of shipping footage.

 

[kasakka]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

I am. Well, FW400 would be fine. I have a Firewire audio interface that I have kept using because I can with a PCI-E card in my PC. Still works perfectly fine so I have no need to change. Nice to see at least some manufacturer catering for that on the Mac side too.

 

[dannyyankou]

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.

It's not as bad as Apple adding $300 for 2 extra USB ports and a useless touch bar.

 

[monty77]

FYI, the new 13 MBP i've been testing has NOT ONCE exhibited the same symptoms the 2016 rMB connected to the same display it happened daily on.

Good to know .. makes me concerned that it's HW not SW related though and I really don't want a MBP

 

[skinned66]

$279 for a hub, LOL.

I was thinking the same thing. How much of that is licensing fees I wonder?

 

[swissmann]

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.

You can think of me. I do everyday. External hd, pro sound, and second display. I'm a pro video editor. Yes I could get new externals but why add the cost if the old ones are working great to a "pro" machine?

 

[2457248]

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.

..then why not simply get the computer with the ports one needs?

 

[Jsameds]

Before I clicked I knew I'd see a load of triggered MR readers. Lol.

 

[nt5672]

Its good to see someone innovating.

 

[Adithya007]

Introducing the all new MacBook Pro, now you gotta pay more on top of the already more expensive laptop to enjoy something that you already had. Magical.

 

[pshifrin]

Good to know .. makes me concerned that it's HW not SW related though and I really don't want a MBP

It's got to be a hardware issue on the rMB itself. The problem happens on different monitors, different cables, apple branded HDMI adaptor, non-apple adaptors, etc.

 

[edgonzalez32]

Do any of these come with an HDMI? If I were to get the new MBP, I just need a hub that has everything the 2015 MBP has.

 

[pat500000]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

Me. Is there a problem? I have Audio Apollo UAD interface that uses FW800.

 

[bobdobalina]

edit

 

[applesith]

Firewire and Mini display ports but no HDMI?

This seems dumb. My HooToo has HDMI, USB, card reader, can supply power and is portable.

 

[Saturn1217]

I guess this has been asked before but does anyone know if it would be possible to plug a usb-c to hdmi cable into one of the thunderbolt ports to get a second display out? I would want to be able to use this with my old monitors not new ones that support thunderbolt and/or daisy chaining.

I regularly have to plug my macbook air into 4 different things when I'm at my desk so a dock like this could be really useful (with a new Pro). Not sure if it is worth the price though...

 

[Duane Martin]

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.

Don't need to go to Phil for the answer to that; I do! And $299 for a Thunderbolt 3 dock is actually cheaper by far than the proposed price of the Belkin device that has been announced and more in line with current Thunderbolt docks available, one of which I own for my early 2011 MBP (bought it because it was the first Mac to support Thunderbolt).

When I am portable with my computer, I want to be portable. When I set up in my office I want to get the maximum number of connections through a single wire. It is not like Apple just invented the concept for those very few of you who are over 12 years old and have any memory at all. I loved my Powerbook Duo, which was way ahead of its time.

BTW, PC manufacturers are making docks for their laptops, too (Dell, Acer, etc) for the exact same reason. Go hassle them for awhile.

 

[beanbaguk]

<sarcasm>bargain!</sarcasm>

 

[Duane Martin]

I guess this has been asked before but does anyone know if it would be possible to plug a usb-c to hdmi cable into one of the thunderbolt ports to get a second display out? I would want to be able to use this with my old monitors not new ones that support thunderbolt and/or daisy chaining.

That currently works with most Thunderbolt 1 and 2 devices and would probably work with this though not all USB Type C to HDMI adaptors are created equal. Of course we won't know absolutely until the product is in people's hands. Take a look at this article.

 

[VeryVito]

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.

That would have such a niche audience, though; I could only see this being implemented on a computer marketed as a "Pro" computer. /s

 

[FoxyKaye]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

I am as well... I have a fine older HD tape camera with the only output option being FW800, and, I invested in a couple of still-working and very helpful external drives, including an OWC RAID system, for which my fastest choices are either FW800 or eSATA. If it ain't broke...

 

[Cougarcat]

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 emailed them about this. The support person did not know and said specs were still being finalized. Their USB C dock doesn't support video over USB C.

In the past with TB docks, one of the monitors had to be Thunderbolt. I hope that's not the case here.

Of course, none of this would be an issue if Apple would just support DisplayPort daisychaining like everyone else...

 

[DonkeyKongForPresident]

Is it only for MBP 2016 or will it work with a Dell XPS 13 with TB3?

TB3 is TB3 so I'd think it should work just fine.

 

[slu]

100% honest non sarcastic question: who is using FW800?

I have legacy video cameras and an external hard drive or two that I would not be able to use without a FireWire port. But I'm aware I need to get that data migrated to a more accessible format.