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StarTech Launches New DisplayPort and HDMI Thunderbolt 3 Mini Docking Stations

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StarTech today announced the launch of a new line of bus-powered Thunderbolt 3 Mini Docking Stations designed to be used with the latest Apple Macs equipped with Thunderbolt 3 support.

StarTech is offering two TB3 dock variations -- the Mini Thunderbolt 3 Dock with Dual HDMI, priced at $183, and the Mini Thunderbolt 3 Dock with Dual DisplayPort, priced at $164.

displayportdockstartech.jpg

With the dual HDMI dock, two HDMI monitors with 4K resolution can be connected to a Mac, while the dual DisplayPort dock allows two 4K DisplayPort monitors or one 5K monitor to be connected to a TB3 Mac. Each dock comes equipped with an integrated 20cm Thunderbolt 3 cable and because they're bus-powered, there's no need for a power cable.

hdmidockstartech.jpg

Both of the docks are small in size making them ideal for use when traveling or in spaces where desk real estate is limited, and both come equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port. The HDMI dock features two USB-A ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), while the DisplayPort dock features a single extra USB-A (3.0) port for plugging in peripheral devices.

StarTech says the two new docks will be available for purchase soon through Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and other retailers.

Article Link: StarTech Launches New DisplayPort and HDMI Thunderbolt 3 Mini Docking Stations
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/11/startech-tb3-mini-docking-stations/
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?

Those of us who have older Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 can't use these stations.

They're finally getting more flexible, and in many cases, more affordable, and we have to upgrade our Macs if we want to use them! D'oh.
 
zorinlynx said:
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?

Those of us who have older Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 can't use these stations. And by hub I mean docking station.

They're finally getting more flexible, and in many cases, more affordable, and we have to upgrade our Macs if we want to use them! D'oh.
Click to expand...
I think there are some TB 1 and 2 hubs.

The reason they took off with TB3 I think is because TB 3 equipped mac laptops have no legacy ports, while all TB 1 and 2 laptops do have a (great) selection of legacy ports.
 
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Glockworkorange said:
I think there are some TB 1 and 2 hubs.

The reason they took off with TB3 I think is because TB 3 equipped mac laptops have no legacy ports, while all TB 1 and 2 laptops do have a (great) selection of legacy ports.
Click to expand...


This is why I am not usually mad when a company cuts off support for old products. Internal cd drive, aux ports, VGA support. Though it can be annoying it does help the growth of other great ideas and products. To be one of the first to move onto the new tech can be a pain though.
 
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I can tell you I purchased the OWC USB C hub and it ended up being trash. When the Mac went to sleep the drives would all eject. OWC tried to tell me "Macs don't need to sleep anymore" and "if you leave your Mac for a few minutes, you should just turn it off." Basically, I shouldn't have been upset my drives ejected upon sleep.
 
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zorinlynx said:
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?

Those of us who have older Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 can't use these stations.

They're finally getting more flexible, and in many cases, more affordable, and we have to upgrade our Macs if we want to use them! D'oh.
Click to expand...

Actually, I've been able to make a TB2 Macbook work fine with a TB3 Dock using the Apple TB3/TB2 Adapter + Apple TB2 cable:
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD861LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-cable-20-m

It's an extra cost but it makes the dock investment worth it as you can keep it when you later upgrade to a TB3 Macbook.
Unfortunately, this solution won't work with this particular Startech model as the TB3 cable seems to be attached to the dock.
 
mikecal said:
Actually, I've been able to make a TB2 Macbook work fine with a TB3 Dock using the Apple TB3/TB2 Adapter + Apple TB2 cable:
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD861LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-cable-20-m

It's an extra cost but it makes the dock investment worth it as you can keep it when you later upgrade to a TB3 Macbook.
Unfortunately, this solution won't work with this particular Startech model as the TB3 cable seems to be attached to the dock.
Click to expand...
Oh, good call. I forgot about using adapters to go from TB 1 or 2 to three.
 
This is something I was looking for back when the new MBPs were released in 2016. Better late than never. Sad that getting dual display output out of thunderbolt 3 is so expensive.
 
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zorinlynx said:
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?
Click to expand...
Not me, I realized around 18 months ago that it's all about economics with PC hardware. Go through some of my posts over the past year, I offered that there'd be plenty of TB3 devices on the market once Intel eliminated the royalty for TB after 1/1/18 - the Intel TB "tax" was IMHO the only real barrier to getting TB on mainstream computers, and I anticipated this bit coming. I've already purchased an iMP and a few cables and peripherals, just in the past 10 days and started jettisoning my older hardware which should make my accountant happy at not having to carry over old hardware year after year. My GF went to CES this year with some friends that work in her field - digital video - all of them were buzzing about TB pretty much being everywhere, and the same goes for NAB. Her next birthday (June) is going to be REALLY expensive for me this year.

Yep, my last two purchases were a StarTech dock and a StarTech USB-C>DP cable. I trust their products to just work.

My only irritation? That it took Intel so frickin' long to get TB costs to a realistic point with no added royalty costs... :oops:
 
Several major issues with this. Firstly, no power port. The whole point of TB3 for me was to enable a single cable setup. Secondly, only one USB 3.0 port? So this is basically a glorified display adapter. Again, I want ONE dock for everything. Finally, $160+ for a dongle? Good luck with that :D
 
My ideal dongle would be:

3x USB-C ports (1 of which is power pass through, the other two would be for attaching a camera memory card reader and an external SSD drive)
1x USB 3
1x 10/100/1000 Ethernet
1x HDMI
 
too short cable for laptop usage I would say, you will have cable clutter as well as this device laying very close to your laptop
 
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zorinlynx said:
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?

Those of us who have older Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 can't use these stations.

They're finally getting more flexible, and in many cases, more affordable, and we have to upgrade our Macs if we want to use them! D'oh.
Click to expand...
Macworld counted five TB 1 docks in 2014 (Belkin, Caldigit, Sonnet, StarTech, Matrox) and eight TB 2 docks in 2015 (OWC, Belkin, Caldigit, Sonnet, StarTech, Kanex, Algato, Akitio). We might have more now but I think what gives you the impression of more TB 3 docks now is that USB-C docks have joined the fray. Though, the dock in question here, is something new in being (one of) the first TB3 'mini-docks' that doesn't offer a wide range of ports for the trade-off of being smaller and cheaper.
 
Last edited:
Glockworkorange said:
I think there are some TB 1 and 2 hubs.

The reason they took off with TB3 I think is because TB 3 equipped mac laptops have no legacy ports, while all TB 1 and 2 laptops do have a (great) selection of legacy ports.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1523540843][/doublepost]My old Dual Display Port stopped working with the most recent MacOS upgrade and the manufacturer claims that Apple has caused the issue. Can anyone advise if this one is functional under the upgrade.

TY

Les
 
Bandwidth doesn’t add up to 40 gbps
[doublepost=1523601345][/doublepost]
Jimmy James said:
Ports: $3
Electronics: $1.50
Casing: $$0.50
Retail price: $183
Click to expand...
Well that’s capitalism
[doublepost=1523601431][/doublepost]
Padaung said:
My ideal dongle would be:

3x USB-C ports (1 of which is power pass through, the other two would be for attaching a camera memory card reader and an external SSD drive)
1x USB 3
1x 10/100/1000 Ethernet
1x HDMI
Click to expand...

That would require 2 TB3 busses, only MBP 15 touchbar can support that
[doublepost=1523601556][/doublepost]
zorinlynx said:
Is anyone else irritated that the docking stations only started to flow in earnest when Thunderbolt 3 came out?

Those of us who have older Macs with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 can't use these stations.

They're finally getting more flexible, and in many cases, more affordable, and we have to upgrade our Macs if we want to use them! D'oh.
Click to expand...

Older macs have adaptors, not hubs, they don’t support this kind of bandwidth.
 
foobarbaz said:
Those would be great with (optional) power pass-through.
Click to expand...

Agree. As is, this dock will still require the use of two ports to run a typical dual-monitor ("legacy", non-TB3 monitors, I mean, which many people still have) MacBook Pro setup. One for the dock, one for power. In that regard, its not much better than my current solution which is one of these:

https://www.startech.com/AV/usb-c-video-adapters/usb-c-displayport-adapter~CDP2DPUCP

And an Amazon USB-C-to-DisplayPort cable. It is slightly better in that, by connecting the power supply directly to the Mac, you get the full 81W power delivery (if you have a 15") instead of being limited to only 60W on the dongle. That's of no consequence to me because my machine is plugged in for plenty of time to charge it back up fully after use away from my desk even at the lower wattage.

Of course this new dock also gives you an ethernet port and USB 3.0 port which is nice if you need those too. I don't but I'm sure many do.
 
Buy the Caldigit TB3+ dock, if you need one. The rest are crap in comparison.
And it's on deal at the moment too.
 
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