Review: OWC's Thunderbolt 3 Dock Gives Your MacBook Pro 13 More Ports to Work With

[wilsonlaidlaw]

The last update I received about 10 days ago said they were just about to start shipping pre-orders. "Just about" obviously means something different in OWC-land. This will definitely be the last time I put my money down on vapourware, whose shipping is endlessly delayed. Twice bitten, infinitely shy.

 

[KCrimson]

The vast majority of the delay has truly been beyond our control. You may or may not notice the plethora of EFI updates rolled in with each of the 10.12.x OS updates over the last 5 months. The good news is it is about making sure all is good and right. It's frustrating for all - and we get close and then we are back waiting... but now that's in the rearview.

While I would agree - we're already later than it should have been, we truly are in the home stretch. I personally flew to oversee final details on the production line and been interfacing with the powers that be to keep hiccups off. I share what I can, when I can...

I sincerely appreciate the patience - the Dock rocks (and we'll reach out on any noise as that's not to be expected, these are quiet) - and the wait is nearly over. I hate that it's taken this long and, again, can't say enough thank you's for the patience.

Thank you.

[doublepost=1497718664][/doublepost]I confess I am quite surprised at the radio silence from OWC. It would seem so easy to avoid frustration and disappointment by staying out in front of the delays with some kind of communication. Nothing more from OWC Larry?

 

[richpjr]

[doublepost=1497718664][/doublepost]I confess I am quite surprised at the radio silence from OWC. It would seem so easy to avoid frustration and disappointment by staying out in front of the delays with some kind of communication. Nothing more from OWC Larry?

I can tell you the repeated missed deadlines and total lack of communication will make me look long and hard at OWC before ordering anything from them in the future. Clearly there are things beyond everyone's control as all vendors are very late delivering their docks. But there is no excuse for poor customer service.

 

[oxfordrunner]

Just logged in to BH Photo with my March Pre-Order...another delay, now until the end of July. I decided to cancel my pre-order and bought the Belkin Dock directly from Belkin's website. 2-day shipping. Sorry OWC. Great product, even in Space Grey to match my 2016 Touchbar MBP, but I couldn't wait any longer. I don't understand why everyone else already had their docks approved and are shipping out now.

I have a 2010 LED Cinema Display which I've been running through an USB-C - Display Port - Mini Display Port (female) adapter to the monitor, so I'll just eliminate 1 more adapter with this. The extra USB ports on the OWC dock would have been nice, but with an extra TB3 port, I'll just use a USB-C to USB-A adapter if required.

 

[ryanrbrowne]

The vast majority of the delay has truly been beyond our control. You may or may not notice the plethora of EFI updates rolled in with each of the 10.12.x OS updates over the last 5 months. The good news is it is about making sure all is good and right. It's frustrating for all - and we get close and then we are back waiting... but now that's in the rearview.

While I would agree - we're already later than it should have been, we truly are in the home stretch. I personally flew to oversee final details on the production line and been interfacing with the powers that be to keep hiccups off. I share what I can, when I can...

I sincerely appreciate the patience - the Dock rocks (and we'll reach out on any noise as that's not to be expected, these are quiet) - and the wait is nearly over. I hate that it's taken this long and, again, can't say enough thank you's for the patience.

Thank you.

Hey Larry, any update on this? "Home stretch" was 9 weeks ago. How's it looking on shipping dates?

 

[TrevorinUK]

The Thunderbolt 3 dock looks nice and feels well made.
Having purchased new MacBook Pro in January with only Thunderbolt ports Pre-Ordered the dock in January in order to get Ethernet and FireWire connectivity, especially as I often need to transfer data using Target Disk Mode from older Macs to new Macs that do not have FireWire.
It recently arrived (only took 6 months!)
It works wonderfully, but as to carrying it around with me... I do not think so, the unit is heavy then add the that the 'Brick' of a power supply.
For me it only fails on the weight of it all, but ideal for desktop use (ie not needing to be portable). Annoying that at the moment there are very few alternative choices.

 

[richpjr]

So I (finally) got an email saying my dock is ship in "the next few days". We'll see. With the massive delays, this thing better be perfect out of the box with no driver issues!

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

This sounds good (except for that odd hissing). I have the original OWC Thunderbolt dock, and it's still working great after three years. It doesn't have any front-facing ports though; I like that this one does.

Just a "singing" inductor in the power supply. They probably just dumped some silicone on it to shut it up.
[doublepost=1498849265][/doublepost]

This one is quite bulky... and expensive.
If there is a dock that is small but has multiple standard USB ports plus an Ethernet port, hdmi port, that would be great. Better if it could drain power from more than one thunderbolt port from MacBook, eliminating the need to bring power brick.

All my basic need is a dongle with at least 4 standard USB ports and one hdmi port.

Although USB-C/TB3 docks (not "dongles"!!!) with THREE USB-A and an HDMI are plentiful, that 4th USB-A port narrows it down a bit. But there are still some on Amazon, like these:

https://www.amazon.com/AUKEY-Delivery-Throughput-MacBook-Chromebook/dp/B072Q1SKZR/

This one is a bit more, but has a few more features. The need for Drivers scares me on a cheap product, though:

https://www.amazon.com/Wavlink-Vertical-Aluminum-Universal-Ultrabook/dp/B01M7PP31E/


There are probably more; but I got tired of searching.... ;-)
[doublepost=1498849425][/doublepost]

Because releasing a laptop with ports is just too mainstream

Instead, they released a laptop with:

1. The most amount of raw, multipurpose I/O bandwidth of ANY laptop on the planet.

2. The most obsolesence-proof ports.

3. Ports that are easily adapted to a wide range of "legacy" ports.
[doublepost=1498850685][/doublepost]

So the 0.5m cable thing is not just a matter of (in)convenience. That is the maximum length a wired Thunderbolt connection can be for the maximum speeds. Anything longer and the max speed degrades pretty quickly.

Edit: I should point out that by wired I mean, passive metal wires vs. active or optical. Optical connections, or active wired connections can supposedly be longer but where are those cables? Either non-existent or prohibitively expensive.

On a desktop (where you would use such a thing as a "dock") 0.5 meters (19.7 inches) is about what you'd want. Anything more, and it is just looping around on the desktop.

"Passive" TB3 cables greater than that length max out at 20 Gbps (rather than the 40 Gbps that a full-speed TB3 port can provide), but there are "active" cables. These aren't terribly cheap; but we're talking REALLY high-speed stuff here. Here's a couple of 40 Gbps Active cables in the 1 m and 2 m world:

This is a 1 m 40 Gbps active TB3 cable for $50. The same product page has a 2 m version for only $10 more:

https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Cable-Matters-Thunderbolt-compatible/dp/B01H5QF1GO/


This 2 m active cable claims to be Intel-Certified to 40 Gbps. Also $59:

https://www.amazon.com/LINTES-Certified-Thunderbolt-40Gbps-Active/dp/B071KGC511/


I'm sure there are others; but that will give you an idea. You DO have to be careful that it is a 40 Gbps, rather than 20 Gbps cable. Read the "fine print" before you click on that impossibly-cheap "active TB3 cable"!!!
[doublepost=1498850847][/doublepost]

Shouldn't this thing cost $800? That's what Apple would charge. $299 is still ridiculous when you can buy an entire PC for that, but you have to expect to pay through the nose with the Mac. PC Hub? $25. Mac hub. $299. Yeah, ti's Thunderbolt 3. But those ports all used to come with a Mac years ago. PCs still do come with them. So pay $2400 for a 15" Macbook Pro with a lousy 250GB of storage ($3000 for 1TB) and then another $299 to get all those ports the $2000 model used to come with. And the Mac fanatics will EAT IT UP because they enjoy paying through the nose.

You can get PLENTY of $25 (and less) hubs that are Mac-compatible on places like Amazon.

That's the beauty of USB-C and TB3. Compatibility. Some things are Mac-only or Windows-Only; but, by and large, most things "just work".
[doublepost=1498851033][/doublepost]

Looks really nice but it does way more than I need it do for a big hefty price tag. I'll stick with my multi purpose $49 dongle.

It IS one of the very few docks with a FireWire port.

If you have FW-based stuff, it's either this, or TWO "cascaded" Apple Adapters ( TB3 -> TB2 adapter, followed by TB 2 -> FW adapter), for $60 total.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

MacRumors needs to check their sources better and not just go with what OWC tells them to say. I ordered a TB3 dock from OWC in mid-Dec. 2016 with OWC saying they will ship by the end of Feb. 2017. As late as Feb. 23, the OWC customer service representative were saying they would ship before the end of the month. Nothing shipped. At the beginning of March the customer service representatives were saying they would ship by the end of March then on March 8, OWC Larry sent out an email that they will ship in mid-April (with a chance it could slip into May). In early to mid-April, Customer service representatives were stating that all issues have been resolved and they will ship by the end of April. Still no shipments. Today, I got an email from an OWC customer service rep. stating they will not ship in April and not saying anything more. There has never been a clear and honest explanation of why the shipping dates have continually slipped only vague references to "certification" and "licensing" issues. Over a 4 month period while waiting for delivery of a $300 product that has seen delay after delay OWC has sent out 1 email to its customers. All of my other communication has been through chats and emails that I had to initiate. OWC has lost its focus on customer service and lost a long time customer.

You've obviously never developed a cutting edge product, and especially not one that had to go through about 3 different "certifications".

Be patient, it's just stuck in certification hell right now.
[doublepost=1498851321][/doublepost]

Some people here don't seem to understand the point of a dock. It's more than a really expensive way to get your ports back. It's a..dock. You can connect everything you need with a single cable, including power. I've been wanting something like this for years, before Apple took its ports away.



Not too different from the Caldigit one...was supposed to come out Q1 (end of March), then it was moved to Mid-May, now it's Late May according to their Twitter account. Considering there are no Mac-certified TB3 docks out yet with full power delivery and they are all supposedly coming out at the same time, I blame Apple's certification.

I'd direct some of that "blame" to Intel. If you want that almighty "Thunderbolt" logo on your product (and you do!), then you WILL go through their certification process.
[doublepost=1498851611][/doublepost]

Given how many thunderbolt 3 windows laptops there are now (which also lack ports) I don't see your reasoning.

Haters don' need no steenking reason to hate. They just do...
[doublepost=1498853658][/doublepost]

An expensive solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.

Exactly. Because:

1. Your needs are everyone else's, too.

2. Nothing should ever change.
[doublepost=1498854730][/doublepost]

You made the right choice (especially the bold part).

Just wait a few years when they try to sell it, and nobody wants a laptop with old, slow USELESS ports anymore, because all the stuff that USED to connect to those ports has DIED...

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Ha,ha... a competively spec'd Mac "desktop" that's funny. They have performance, but they are just as connection-light as the laptops.

Ahem.

The 2016 iMacs have:

3.5 mm headphone jack (actually, a Headset jack, with audio-in also)

SDXC card slot

Four USB 3 ports (also compatible with USB 2)

Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:

• DisplayPort
• Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
• Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)

10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Kensington lock slot


IMHO, that's not so bad.


And the iMac Pro will add an additional 2 USB-C/TB3 Ports to that mix. Plus, the ethernet port supports 10GigE. First time on an Apple product!
[doublepost=1498856842][/doublepost]

I am waiting impatiently for my order to be fulfilled by OWC. The release date has been delayed twice already and I would not be at all surprised to see it delayed again at the end of this month. "Due to unforeseen extrinsic factors and to ensure a better customer experience - blah blah blah."

I need it to use my T3 MBP with a film scanner that is Firewire only. I have tried daisy chaining T3 to T2 and T2 to FW800 and that did not work, with the scanning software reporting communication errors. The T3 -T2-FW800 worked to a hard drive but the two way communication for 7200 dpi multiple pass film scanning is more intensive and I assume there must be a protocol problem. It used to work with the T2 to FW800 on my previous rMPB running 10.12, so it is the T3 causing the problem.

Were you using the APPLE TB 3 <-> TB 2, followed by the APPLE TB 2 <-> FW 800 Adapter "chain"? Because that IS an "approved" configuration. If so, then I'd start Googling for an answer, or maybe check with the Scanner mfg.

...or just wait for the OWC dock to show up...
[doublepost=1498859011][/doublepost]

- devices with captive cables (e.g. I use an Apple LED Cinema Display at work, with captive MiniDP and USB-C). Note that this includes every USB-A memory stick in existence, keyboards, mice etc. OK, my main mouse can do bluetooth, but it charges by USB so if it dies I have a box of old mice that will tide me over. I've got a USB TV tuner dongle that I only use occasionally but isn't landfill just yet. I've got a Flirc USB-A IR receiver for my RasPI that you program by plugging into a Mac/PC.

- I've got various external USB devices. Some have USB-A sockets. Some have USB-B 2.0 sockets, Some have USB-B 3.0 sockets. Some have microUSB 2.0 sockets. Some have microUSB 3.0 sockets. I think I'm done with anything that has miniUSB - oh, but my iPad has Lightning and there are a couple of old iPods that I might want to use when I go somewhere I don't want to take my phone (anybody seen USB-C to 30 pin? Didn't think so) Thing is these all came with a whatever-to-USB-A cable so I have plenty of them and can leave them threaded behind desks, monitors etc. Even $10/cable soon adds up if you look at replacing a significant fraction of those.

- Last I looked, there was no usb-c to mini DisplayPort cable (and not a huge choice of dongles).

- In any case, I have other computers that I still use - a spare old laptop if my 'daily driver' fails, an old MacPro that is my last machine that will run fat binaries and certain ancient software should I need to refer back to some old projects, a RasPi, a HP home server for backup/filestore, a PC that I use for Linux and experimenting with Hackintosh... and all of these, surprise surprise, have USB-A 2.0 or 3.0 sockets. Being forced into a mixed economy of USB-C and USB-A would be a pain in the butt.

- one option I'm considering at the moment is whether an iMac for the desk + MacBook or non-TB MBP would be a better solution than a single do-it-all, high-end MBP. Guess what... current iMac has USB-A + TB2 (update definitely possibly maybe this year, or not), current MBP has USB-C/TB3 (and, on the non-TB only two of them, one of which may be needed for the charger - so some sort of multiport adapter is essential).

Oh, where to start?

1. On devices with captive USB-A cables (or old USB memory sticks), simply get the passive, TWO DOLLAR, "clip on" adapters. And stop using the perjorative term "Dongle". It's an ADAPTER, got it?!? Here's a 3-pack for $5.79:

https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Hi-speed-Devices-MacBook-ChromeBook/dp/B01LHBFCEO/

2. If you want to get with the times, you can simply get a memory Stick with BOTH USB-A and USB-C "ends":

https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Stellar-C-Type-C-Flash-PIF64GSTRCOTG/dp/B015OYMAEA/


3. The 2017 iMacs have BOTH USB-A (3.0) ports (x 4), AND USB-C/TB3 Ports (x 2). So, there you go.

 

[antonis]

Just wait a few years when they try to sell it, and nobody wants a laptop with old, slow USELESS ports anymore, because all the stuff that USED to connect to those ports has DIED...

What exactly makes 2015 MBP's ports slow and useless ? Better get a laptop that is relevant today than buying a laptop than is hyped to aim on a probable future and live with a pile of dongles. By the time these ports will be standard (if ever) both MBPs will be old and slow.

 

[theluggage]

Oh, where to start?
1. On devices with captive USB-A cables (or old USB memory sticks), simply get the passive, TWO DOLLAR, "clip on" adapters. And stop using the perjorative term "Dongle". It's an ADAPTER, got it?!? Here's a 3-pack for $5.79:

If you read my post, I was responding to a previous poster asking why people need "dongles" (or "adapters" if you prefer) rather than getting "proper" USB-C-to-X cables. ANS: captive cables, actual dongles etc.

...and - dongles, adapters, whatever - if you want to hear "pejorative" wait until you hear what they'll get called when they get left in your other bag, lost, borrowed, fall off, won't fit side-by-side in adjacent sockets etc. Sure, using an adapter is hardly the greatest challenge we'll ever face, but when all of your existing kit uses USB-A, none of it uses USB-C and there aren't that many killer apps for USB-C/TB3 just yet, its an unnecessary annoyance.

Oh, and I'm slightly wary of "bargain" USB-C cable/adapter deals after this debacle.

2. If you want to get with the times, you can simply get a memory Stick with BOTH USB-A and USB-C "ends":

...yes, I'll replace the dozen-or-so USB sticks I already have with those, and persuade all the colleagues who are likely to hand me things on a USB stick to do the same. Great. Fine.

3. The 2017 iMacs have BOTH USB-A (3.0) ports (x 4), AND USB-C/TB3 Ports (x 2). So, there you go.

That sudden and unexpected outbreak of common sense happened since my last post - before WWDC it seemed a definite possibility that the 2017 iMac would go down the same route as the MBP. Plus, on the iMac, you don't have to "waste" one of the TB3 ports for power.

If only Apple had offered a MBP option that took the same approach: replace 2xTB2 with two USB-C/TB3 ports for future-proofing while retaining all the other ports for present-proofing. It could have run alongside the new design for a year or so.

 

[wilsonlaidlaw]

So I (finally) got an email saying my dock is ship in "the next few days". We'll see. With the massive delays, this thing better be perfect out of the box with no driver issues!

Do you mind saying when you ordered. I ordered in Feb but have had no email from Macsales for around 2 months.

 

[richpjr]

Do you mind saying when you ordered. I ordered in Feb but have had no email from Macsales for around 2 months.

I ordered it on Feb 10. My credit card was charged on June 30th, though their web site is still showing my order as processing and it hasn't shipped yet.

 

[MuseumVisitor]

I’m pathetic and ashamed to say that I have placed my pre-order of an OWC dock back in November of 2016.

At that moment in November, B&H have charged my credit card for $279. Since then, I have received no hub, but many automated “still out of stock” emails. First backorder status email was sent to me in February, 2017… The latest is expectancy on July 28, 2017……..

I have never in my life experienced such a false promise. I do not even understand B&H's decision to continue this game with this company and with me, all in hope that one day I may receive what I have paid for many, many months ago.

One is for sure, never again with OWC.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

If you read my post, I was responding to a previous poster asking why people need "dongles" (or "adapters" if you prefer) rather than getting "proper" USB-C-to-X cables. ANS: captive cables, actual dongles etc.

...and - dongles, adapters, whatever - if you want to hear "pejorative" wait until you hear what they'll get called when they get left in your other bag, lost, borrowed, fall off, won't fit side-by-side in adjacent sockets etc. Sure, using an adapter is hardly the greatest challenge we'll ever face, but when all of your existing kit uses USB-A, none of it uses USB-C and there aren't that many killer apps for USB-C/TB3 just yet, its an unnecessary annoyance.

Oh, and I'm slightly wary of "bargain" USB-C cable/adapter deals after this debacle.

Just like you don't leave your AC or video adapters at home when you have a Mac (or many other) laptop, you will learn to have USB-C/USB-A adapters hanging around in your computer bag 'o tricks.

And what do you mean "killer apps for USB-C/TB3"? It's a HARDWARE interface! What do "Apps" have to do with it? Unless you are just mis-using a slang term for the generic word "applications" (meaning "use-cases"). In which case, I believe you are wrong.

Oh, and that's why user reviews, like on Amazon, are so important. If 239 of your "closest friends" have plugged in a USB-C cable or adapter without incident, it is a pretty safe bet that you won't have problems, either.

And those "clip-on" USB-C/USB-A adapters are simply too simple to have problems. They are completely passive, have absolutely no "wiring" in them to get crimped or shorted-out, and are simply two connectors with a small "patch board" PCB between them. They are about as simple as a toothpick...

...yes, I'll replace the dozen-or-so USB sticks I already have with those, and persuade all the colleagues who are likely to hand me things on a USB stick to do the same. Great. Fine.

No, just snap one of those $2 PASSIVE USB-C/USB-A adapters onto the end of your existing USB stick, and go on.

That sudden and unexpected outbreak of common sense happened since my last post - before WWDC it seemed a definite possibility that the 2017 iMac would go down the same route as the MBP. Plus, on the iMac, you don't have to "waste" one of the TB3 ports for power.

Not nearly the size-constraints on an iMac as with a MacBook. But, I wouldn't have been disappointed to see 4 USB-C/TB3 ports on the iMac, either.

And, in most cases, you don't "waste" a USB-C/TB3 port on a MacBook for power. Most devices allow pass-through charging.

If only Apple had offered a MBP option that took the same approach: replace 2xTB2 with two USB-C/TB3 ports for future-proofing while retaining all the other ports for present-proofing. It could have run alongside the new design for a year or so.

And if only the 1999 iMac had had at least one Serial and Parallel port, and maybe a Floppy connector, too...

Sometimes the only way to effect change is to help it along a bit. And Apple has a long history of doing exactly that.

 

[WildCowboy]

OWC tells me they've shipped out over 2000 pre-orders so far, and are getting in 500-1000 more per week. They expect to be through the pre-order backlog around the first week of August.

 

[richpjr]

OWC tells me they've shipped out over 2000 pre-orders so far, and are getting in 500-1000 more per week. They expect to be through the pre-order backlog around the first week of August.

I got my shipping notification last week with a delivery scheduled for next Monday (10 day shipping - is it going by wagon train?). I really think this will be the last thing I ever order from OWC - can't think of a worse way to handle the issues than what they have done.

 

[lietsche]

My order is with the delivery courier. To be delivered on Monday, but I am on vacation, so I will not receive it before Wednesday. Delivery to Luxembourg, ordered through owc's European partner in Belgium in January.

 

[dyn]

On a desktop (where you would use such a thing as a "dock") 0.5 meters (19.7 inches) is about what you'd want. Anything more, and it is just looping around on the desktop.

"Passive" TB3 cables greater than that length max out at 20 Gbps (rather than the 40 Gbps that a full-speed TB3 port can provide), but there are "active" cables. These aren't terribly cheap; but we're talking REALLY high-speed stuff here.

Not quite. The passive cables are 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 meters long and generic USB-C which means that they are meant for things like USB. Out of the 4 lengths only the 0.5m is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and will run at the full 40Gbps speed (not 20Gbps as stated above!). It is this cable that is supplied with nearly all of the Thunderbolt 3 docking stations.

The active cables are all Thunderbolt 3 only. They come in 0.5, 1, 2 meters or longer when optical. They come in 2 flavours: normal and cheap as per Intels wish (they wanted to make Thunderbolt cables cheaper). The normal ones run at the full speed of Thunderbolt 3 (=40Gbps) but the cheap ones will only run at half the speed (=20Gbps). The active cables can be used with the Apple charger to charge the MBP at the chargers full capacity (=either 60W or 85W). Active cables in general are more expensive than passive cables because of the circuitry.

You can easily tell the difference between a passive and active cable. Active cables have bigger and hotter connectors.

Btw, 0,5m can be quite short, even when used with a desktop. In my case I'm using one with my notebook and it puts a big constraint on where I can put the dock. I have to use it on the desk because the cable is too short to put it underneath the desk or in the cable tray. It would have been better if the cable length was 1m (2m is just too long).

One is for sure, never again with OWC.

You clearly haven't looked at the other manufacturers. All the proper Thunderbolt 3 docking stations (the ones with the real TB3 chip from TI, the TI83) have been delayed due to Intel having troubles with their certification process. Nearly all of them have started to ship in June/July depending on whether you are in the first or second batch. I just wished the manufacturers would have made this more clear but they may not have been able to due to NDA.

 

[brainsnorkel]

I just got one of these and my DisplayPort output is glitching/tearing the bottom half of my external 4k screen every 30 seconds or so (on average).

I wonder if anyone else with a new OWC 13 port USB-C dock is seeing this problem?

I got the OWC 13 port to replace a variety of dongles, one of which is an Apple (or Apple-looking Belkin?) USB-C to DisplayPort adapter that worked just fine since late 2016. In fact the external monitor works just fine with the USB-C->DisplayPort adapter plugged into the spare USB-C port of the OWC dock. I only get the tearing when I DisplayPort to the monitor direct from the dock with the same cable.

This is a video I made of the effect:

I have a 13-inch, Late 2016 touchbar MBP and a Dell P2715Q at 3840 x 2160.

 

[richpjr]

I do not see that problem. I have had mine for a week and the only issue I had was once my external monitor was not recognized when waking up from sleep. Unplugging it and plugging it back in fixed the issue.

 

[brainsnorkel]

I do not see that problem. I have had mine for a week and the only issue I had was once my external monitor was not recognized when waking up from sleep. Unplugging it and plugging it back in fixed the issue.

Maybe I got a dud. What resolution/refresh are you running, and do you have the MBP screen active at the same time?

 

[richpjr]

Maybe I got a dud. What resolution/refresh are you running, and do you have the MBP screen active at the same time?

I am running a 4k external monitor and I do use the MBP screen at the same time. Have you tried a different cable?

 

[brainsnorkel]

I am running a 4k external monitor and I do use the MBP screen at the same time. Have you tried a different cable?

Good thought. I have tried two DP -> mDP cables. Both would be a 12-18 months old and appear to be from different manufacturers. They both exhibit the same problem with the dock and work fine with a 13" Mid-2011 MBP (<4k), 13" late 2013 MBPR (4k), and the USB-C/DP dongle (4k).

I'll see if I can borrow some other cables to test. Maybe they're marginal quality.