OWC Takes $120 Off Popular 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock During Its Spring Sale

[drrich2]

My ideal hub would have a design that matches Apple's aesthetics with a minimum of 4 ports with USB-C connector (ideally 6), 10 Gbps Ethernet, SD Express slot, and CFexpress slot.

I haven't, either. Did a little quick browsing at Amazon. It seems Thunderbolt hubs and docks tend to be pricey - from the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element hub or CalDigit TS3+ Thunderbolt 3 dock (maybe $180 or so) up to the higher end Thunderbolt 5 CalDigit dock option at roughly $500, IIRC - so people buying one want it to meet all their port needs, and many have a keyboard/mouse wireless USB-A type receiver and/or some peripherals and don't want to have to bother using an adapter cable.

But there are USB-C 'port splitter' type hubs, though you won't get Thunderbolt 3, 4 or 5 bandwidth from hub to computer. My point is, I don't think the device you're after exists yet, at least without a number of additional ports (e.g.: USB-A). Just the 10 Gbps ethernet requirement narrows it down a lot (and I imagine restricts you to later generations of TB, not TB3 cheap on the used market).

For fun I did a little digging to see how close I could get. Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station, 14 Ports Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station with 140W Max Charging, 120Gbps Max Transfer, Ambient LED Lighting, Cooling System, Up to 8K Display for Thunderbolt 5/4 Laptops "

• 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock: Equipped with a Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, two Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, SD and TF card readers, an AC input, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, an audio jack, and an HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.1 port. It also includes an advanced active cooling system for optimal performance even under full load, preventing overheating."

Roughly $400, SD and TF but not CFexpress, the ethernet is 2.5 Gpbs, 4 USB-C ports (2 TB5, 2 USB-C), the aesthetic isn't glaringly dissimilar to Apple's (a matter of taste, granted).

I think what you're after will take 2 hubs/dock + a CFexpress card reader.

Ironically, back in the days of tower and mini-tower computers with empty expansion bays, one could buy port cards and customize like what you want; the computer body itself served the 'dock' function. But that ship hasn't just sailed...it's been burnt to the water.

P.S.: I predict a slow shift toward more USB-C and fewer USB-A ports in docks/hubs with time, but USB-A will persist longterm.

 

[nutmac]

For fun I did a little digging to see how close I could get. Anker Prime TB5 Docking Station, 14 Ports Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station with 140W Max Charging, 120Gbps Max Transfer, Ambient LED Lighting, Cooling System, Up to 8K Display for Thunderbolt 5/4 Laptops "

• 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock: Equipped with a Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, two Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, SD and TF card readers, an AC input, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, an audio jack, and an HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.1 port. It also includes an advanced active cooling system for optimal performance even under full load, preventing overheating."

Roughly $400, SD and TF but not CFexpress, the ethernet is 2.5 Gpbs, 4 USB-C ports (2 TB5, 2 USB-C), the aesthetic isn't glaringly dissimilar to Apple's (a matter of taste, granted).

Anker's TB5 dock is nice, but I can't help but wonder how much better it would be if all of the 3 USB-A ports are USB-C instead.

Frankly, Apple should make such accessory -- TB5 dock that brings Mac Studio's connectivity, minus USB-A:

• Back: 1 upstream 140W TB5 port + 3 TB5 ports
• Back: 10Gb Ethernet
• Back: HDMI 2.1 port
• Front: 3.5mm headphone jack (Mac Studio has this on the back)
• Front: 2 USB-C ports
• Front: SDXC card slot

 

[drrich2]

Anker's TB5 dock is nice, but I can't help but wonder how much better it would be if all of the 3 USB-A ports are USB-C instead.

Thinking of the target audience, it wouldn't be nicer for many if there was no USB-A port. An M4 MacMini, for example, has 3 Thunderbolt ports on the back and 2 USB-C ports on the front, so in effect 5 total USB-C type ports. How many users have every one of those tied up and needs more? On the other hand, how many of those users have a USB-A peripheral such as a wireless receiver for a mouse/keyboard, a USB-A to Lightning charger cable for an old iPhone, etc...? I've heard the argument before 'those people' can use USB-A adapters or cables, but the same is true for those who wish they were all USB-C ports.

For the prices these sell at, I don't think a major vendor is going to completely omit USB-A for a long time to come. That said, for peripherals without built-in cable, if you get a few USB-A to USB-C cables, the end user experience wouldn't be much different. In fact, I was a little surprised to find this last night:

OWC 10-port Thunderbolt Pro Dock, 85W charging, Dual Thunderbolt 40 Gb/s (USB-C), USB-C and (3) USB Type A 10Gb/s, DisplayPort, 10GbE, CFexpress, SD, Single 8K or Dual 6K 60Hz Displays, For Mac and PC​

Not quite what you said you were after, and pricey at roughly $350 for a Thunderbolt 3 device, but it does have 10-Gbps ethernet and reads CFexpress and SD (I'm not familiar with SD Express, so it may lack that?) cards. Has DisplayPort 1.4 rather than an HDMI port, but again, a converter cable wouldn't be hard to find. Being TB3 there's only one downstream TB port; a nice touch is those USB-A ports are 10-Gbps speed, as is the one (non-TB) USB-C port.

Not everything you wanted, but 10 GbE and a CFexpress reader caught my eye. In another thread I've seen members lauding the roughly $500 CalDigit TS5+ on the grounds that 10 Gbps ethernet adapters are expensive; finding one in an old TB3 device that also reads CFexpress jumped out at me, and this for near $350.

 

[drrich2]

Frankly, Apple should make such accessory -- TB5 dock that brings Mac Studio's connectivity, minus USB-A:

I'd like to see it, but they won't. Here's my thinking:

1.) Apple just cut legacy ports on the M4 series MacMini to shrink it down, costing us ports and possibly heat dissipation capability, on the grounds space saving, 'cute' and environmentally sound use of less material (and weight to ship) are more important (a contentious topic).

2.) If they put out a dock that effectively reverses that, they contradict themselves.

Of course...every MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro or MacMini hooked to a dock sort of does that, but it's not Apple acknowledging the need. The last time I recall Apple doing something analogous was returning some non-USB C ports (HDMI, SDXC) to MacBook Pros.

And I get it that this would only 'reverse course' for users who bought the dock, but Apple seems to be in lose with this stark minimalist aesthetic.

3.) People can opt for 10 Gbps ethernet in the M4 series MacMini for $100, a speed the large majority of users probably won't make use of for years to come. Might be nice for MacBook Air and Pro users.

 

[nutmac]

I'd like to see it, but they won't. Here's my thinking:

1.) Apple just cut legacy ports on the M4 series MacMini to shrink it down, costing us ports and possibly heat dissipation capability, on the grounds space saving, 'cute' and environmentally sound use of less material (and weight to ship) are more important (a contentious topic).

2.) If they put out a dock that effectively reverses that, they contradict themselves.

Of course...every MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro or MacMini hooked to a dock sort of does that, but it's not Apple acknowledging the need. The last time I recall Apple doing something analogous was returning some non-USB C ports (HDMI, SDXC) to MacBook Pros.

And I get it that this would only 'reverse course' for users who bought the dock, but Apple seems to be in lose with this stark minimalist aesthetic.

3.) People can opt for 10 Gbps ethernet in the M4 series MacMini for $100, a speed the large majority of users probably won't make use of for years to come. Might be nice for MacBook Air and Pro users.

1. I have Mac mini M4 and I don't feel that it's a compromise from the predecessor. It rarely gets all that hot and noisy (unless you are doing transcoding or other sustained intensive tasks).

• Mac mini M2 had 2 (M2) or 4 (M2 Pro) TB ports + 2 USB-A + HDMI +1Gb Ethernet (upgradable to 10Gb) +1 3.5mm headphones jack
• Mac mini M4 has 2 USB-C + 3 TB + HDMI + 1Gb Ethernet (upgradable to 10Gb) + 1 3.5mm headphones jack

So in other words, if are all in on USB-C like I am, and extending the life of USB-A devices via USB-A to USB-C cable or adapter, you are actually gaining an extra USB/TB port over the predecessor. You are losing a port with M4 Pro, however.

2. I don't agree. The dock is useful for portable devices like MacBooks. Just connect 1 cable and get access to every devices connected to the dock. For desktops, it helps those with heavier connectivity needs, such as A/V creatives or those with many external disks.