CES: Belkin unveils Thunderbolt Express Dock, coming in Sept. for $299

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014


Belkin on Monday introduced its new Thunderbolt Express Dock, which will allow users to connect multiple devices to their Mac with one Thunderbolt cable when it arrives in September for $299.



Though it won't be available until later this year, the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock will be on display at the company's booth at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. The dock will enable Thunderbolt-equipped Macs to access multiple desktop peripherals with just one cable.



"People purchase MacBook Airs and Ultrabooks for ultimate portability, but constantly plugging-in and unplugging numerous cable-connected peripherals is an annoying and time consuming ordeal," said Martin Avilla, general manager of Belkin's Core Business Unit. "The Thunderbolt Express Dock provides a much-needed solution that creates a cleaner, faster, more productive workspace and reliable connectivity to desktop devices and the Internet."



Highlighted features of the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock are:



Quickly connects into a desktop workstation and instantly accesses multiple devices with a single cable



Adds reliable, gigabit Ethernet connectivity to your laptop



Includes three USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire 800 port, one HDMI port, one 3.5mm Audio port, one gigabit Ethernet port and two Thunderbolt ports (one upstream and one downstream) for daisy-chaining to another Thunderbolt compatible device.



Utilizes Thunderbolt Technology for data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps bi-directionally











For now, Mac users looking to use Thunderbolt for a simplified docking solution can use Apple's Thunderbolt Display, which allows users to plug in one 10Gbps Thunderbolt cable that can drive multiple devices with its high bandwidth capacity. The Thunderbolt display serves as a docking station in addition to a monitor, and packs three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, one Gigabit Ethernet port and a Thunderbolt port for daisy chaining up to five additional Thunderbolt devices.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    Again, this is a terrible design, one that makes the thing darn near unusable, and the price is extortion, period.
  • Reply 2 of 59
    zindakozindako Posts: 468member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Again, this is a terrible design, one that makes the thing darn near unusable, and the price is extortion, period.



    I have to agree, it looks like an apple display stand, and the price ugh!!
  • Reply 3 of 59
    USB 3.0 would have been nice as would a PCI or esata port, now that would have been useful.
  • Reply 4 of 59
    USB 2..... Dare I ask if they are powered or not? I was hoping next generation firewire might appear by then, but even USB 3 will be lagging.
  • Reply 5 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by applecider View Post


    USB 3.0 would have been nice as would a PCI or esata port, now that would have been useful.



    Do they make "external PCI" or were you seriously suggesting a standard size 16x PCIe slot?
  • Reply 6 of 59
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Why does this take so long to release? Are they growing the aluminum from seed?



    (And when September finally rolls around, the lack of USB 3 will seem pretty short-sighted.)
  • Reply 7 of 59
    mrrmrr Posts: 69member
    Piss poor design.



    Rip off price.



    Is there any body listening in China that can start knocking out Thunderbolt hubs at a reasonable price ?
  • Reply 8 of 59
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Does the current TB driver already support all those other protocols (HDMI FW, USB, Ethernet, audio I/O etc.) ?



    And what is that extra thing on the top?



    The price probably reflects all the chip and port licensing.
  • Reply 9 of 59
    That's a mockup.



    Here's the actual device.



    http://www.hardwarezone.com/tech-new...-unveiled-2012
  • Reply 10 of 59
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Does the current TB driver already support all those other protocols (HDMI FW, USB, Ethernet, audio I/O etc.) ?



    Since it's essentially PCI, it can support just about anything using bridges.



    I'm not seeing the reported HDMI port on this thing, though.





    Quote:

    And what is that extra thing on the top?



    It looks like a MagSafe connector for charging MacBooks.



    The product shot on this device is pretty substandard. Who laid out the cables?
  • Reply 11 of 59
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ZachB10 View Post


    That's a mockup.



    Here's the actual device.



    http://www.hardwarezone.com/tech-new...-unveiled-2012



    Uh, yeah, that totally looks like the same device that's being reported on blogs everywhere.



    Thanks for the clarification.
  • Reply 12 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    It looks like a MagSafe connector for charging MacBooks.



    The product shot on this device is pretty substandard. Who laid out the cables?



    Okay, I might be wrong about this. I sort of hope that I am, because if I'm not, that's about as low as you can go.







    That cable is the cable on an Apple Thunderbolt Display, hence the MagSafe break-off. These idiots decided to string it (poorly) through their… monstrosity… instead of actually shelling out for a real, proper Thunderbolt cable.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ZachB10 View Post


    Here's the actual device.



    I honestly didn't think that they could top that mockup for hideousness, but they have. Who wants a gigantic box on their desk just for PORTS?!
  • Reply 13 of 59
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Belkin is off in La La Land with this. It's not worth half that price.
  • Reply 14 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    Uh, yeah, that totally looks like the same device that's being reported on blogs everywhere.



    Thanks for the clarification.



    Yea, do a google search and look at a few other blogs. I see several others with this design and so far, it's the only one that shows an HDMI port.



    http://www.clubic.com/salon-informat...in-468436.html



    In french, but shows other angles and is a recent image.
  • Reply 15 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ZachB10 View Post


    Yea, do a google search and look at a few other blogs. I see several others with this design and so far, it's the only one that shows an HDMI port.



    Either they're making two docks or that's not it at all.



    This is it. Real image. CES.



  • Reply 16 of 59
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    The individual parts look like they're made by Apple, but the whole doesn't. I mean, when you look at an Apple product you immediately know what it is, but when I look at this, a feeling of wondering what is it comes.
  • Reply 17 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Either they're making two docks or that's not it at all.



    This is it. Real image. CES.







    Where's the HDMI port they are reporting? Where's the audio?
  • Reply 18 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Do they make "external PCI" or were you seriously suggesting a standard size 16x PCIe slot?



    Something along the line of an express 34 PCI card slot was what I was thinking of as the penultimate dongle. But then if the first accessory offered enough expansion then where would be the onus to create more?

    Like this http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Sonne...ology/ECHOE34/.
  • Reply 19 of 59
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ZachB10 View Post


    Where's the HDMI port they are reporting?



    It isn't on that model, apparently.
  • Reply 20 of 59
    Wake me up when some manufacturer turns on a few brain-cells and produces one with USB 3. This looks DOA.
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