OWC USB-C Travel Dock provides MacBook with HDMI, memory card, USB connectivity in a small...

AppleInsider

Mac upgrade vendor OWC has launched another dock aimed at MacBook Pro users, with the OWC USB-C Travel Dock providing a number of extra USB connections, HDMI-out, and an SD card reader to notebooks in a compact and highly portable unit.

Connecting to a MacBook or MacBook Pro's Thunderbolt 3 port with its attached 9.8-inch USB 3.1 Type-C captive cable, the USB-C Travel Dock extends the connectivity of its host system with a pair of USB 3.1 Type-A ports, which can be used to facilitate data transfers and provide power to connected devices.

An extra USB 3.1 Type-C port on the back is included as an auxiliary power port, which is capable of delivering up to 60 Watts of power to connected devices. Aside from providing power to accessories and other connected hardware, the 60-Watt connection is also enough to charge a connected 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook, but not the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

On one side of the dock is a HDMI 2.0 port, providing a secondary output for the MacBook or MacBook Pro, capable of displaying a 24-bit 4K-resolution image at 30 hertz. On the other side is an SD card reader, supporting SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards and compatible with UHS-II, offering transfer speeds of up to 312 megabytes per second.

The USB-C Travel Dock measures 3.2 inches square and 0.7 inches deep while weighing in at 3.2 ounces, making it lightweight and easy to pack into a bag for travel. OWC also offers the dock in gold, silver, space gray, and rose gold color options, allowing it to match the user's MacBook.

On sale now, the OWC USB-C Travel Dock is priced at $49.99.

schlack

Seems awkwardly larger and less ergonomic than some competing options (i.e. Satechi) which work well from experience and are about 1/3 the size. Wish the 4K resolution on all these adaptors was better than 30hz.

Mike Wuerthele

schlack said:

Seems awkwardly larger and less ergonomic than some competing options (i.e. Satechi) which work well from experience and are about 1/3 the size. Wish the 4K resolution on all these adaptors was better than 30hz.

Limitation of the HDMI controller in use. Also, the USB controller might be bandwidth-constrained with 4K60.

wood1208

USB-C to Multiport Adapter should shrink in true travel size(small wallet) and price($20).

tzeshan

What is the purpose of HDMI port?  Can MacBook Pro connect to HDTV via HDMI?

wozwoz

a) The cable is far too short - you want to hide the dock - not clutter up your desk with ti
b) Where's ethernet?  What's the point of a dock for Macbook without ethernet?

ajmas

tzeshan said:

What is the purpose of HDMI port?  Can MacBook Pro connect to HDTV via HDMI?

New MacBook Pros only have USB-C connectors, so to do anything half useful you need a dongle. Crazy? Probably. Brave? The jury is still out. Many people use HDMI to connect to TVs, projectors and other display devices.

tzeshan

ajmas said:

tzeshan said:

What is the purpose of HDMI port?  Can MacBook Pro connect to HDTV via HDMI?

New MacBook Pros only have USB-C connectors, so to do anything half useful you need a dongle. Crazy? Probably. Brave? The jury is still out. Many people use HDMI to connect to TVs, projectors and other display devices.

Without the dongle you still need the cable.  You don't save too much.

Mike Wuerthele

wozwoz said:

a) The cable is far too short - you want to hide the dock - not clutter up your desk with ti
b) Where's ethernet?  What's the point of a dock for Macbook without ethernet?

USB-C Travel Dock

Mike Wuerthele

tzeshan said:

What is the purpose of HDMI port?  Can MacBook Pro connect to HDTV via HDMI?

Projectors and recent displays. Yes.

anome

Mike Wuerthele said:

wozwoz said:

a) The cable is far too short - you want to hide the dock - not clutter up your desk with ti
b) Where's ethernet?  What's the point of a dock for Macbook without ethernet?

USB-C Travel Dock

It's right there, in the name. If it weren't a travel dock, I'd be asking why it wasn't Thunderbolt 3 rather than just USB, but when you make something small and portable, you have to compromise on some things lest you end up with an ungainly lump of aluminium and plastic that weighs more than it should, and doesn't fit in your bag as neatly.

I'm disappointed at only having 60W of Power Delivery, though. Again, it's a travel dock so you make compromises, but even in non-travel docks getting 85W costs substantially more.

lkrupp

So it’s unanimous then. OWC should just chuck this thing in the garbage.

1. Awkwardly larger and less ergonomic

2. 4K only 30hz

3. should shrink in true travel size and only cost $20

4. Cable far too short.

5. No ethernet

6. Only 60W power

AppleInsider techies have decided it’s crap, OWC. What were you thinking? You should have contacted these experts before you even thought about designing it.

cjcoops

lkrupp said:

So it’s unanimous then. OWC should just chuck this thing in the garbage.
.....

AppleInsider techies have decided it’s crap, OWC. What were you thinking? You should have contacted these experts before you even thought about designing it.

Well, it is a bit clunky...

I have had a UPTab dongle for my macbook since the beginning of the  year - 2x usb, hdmi, sd card, ethernet, and power pass thru.

https://www.uptab.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/p/uptab_usbc_6in1_graphite_1000.jpg

anome

lkrupp said:

So it’s unanimous then. OWC should just chuck this thing in the garbage.

1. Awkwardly larger and less ergonomic

2. 4K only 30hz

3. should shrink in true travel size and only cost $20

4. Cable far too short.

5. No ethernet

6. Only 60W power

AppleInsider techies have decided it’s crap, OWC. What were you thinking? You should have contacted these experts before you even thought about designing it.

I'd just like to state for the record, that I don't see only 60W for Power Delivery as crippling this device. I think it's quite a neat little package, on a par with other devices of its type. I don't need to buy it, as I have an alternative that better fits my needs, but I can see this being quite useful.

Of course, I don't claim to be some great technical guru who knows not only the limits of engineering such a device and the personal requirements of the whole population.

dcgoo

anome said:
I'd just like to state for the record, that I don't see only 60W for Power Delivery as crippling this device. I think it's quite a neat little package, on a par with other devices of its type. I don't need to buy it, as I have an alternative that better fits my needs, but I can see this being quite useful.

Actually 60W can charge the 15-inch MBP just fine. A little slower than the 85W brick, but it works fine. I've been using my LG Ultrafine 4K with its 60W for months.  

nht

lkrupp said:

So it’s unanimous then. OWC should just chuck this thing in the garbage.

1. Awkwardly larger and less ergonomic

2. 4K only 30hz

3. should shrink in true travel size and only cost $20

4. Cable far too short.

5. No ethernet

6. Only 60W power

AppleInsider techies have decided it’s crap, OWC. What were you thinking? You should have contacted these experts before you even thought about designing it.

Meh.  Truth hurts.  There are a lot of similar products on the market.  I dunno that this one brings anything new to the table on either price or functionality and it is larger.

I never much cared for OWC products after buying a few.  I had an Elite Pro enclosure that rattled and they wouldn't swap.  It ended up sitting on a shelf because it was too annoying and other companies get my business now.  All companies have a bum product now and again.  It's how they handle it for their customers that separates them apart.  Apple and Anker have my business not because I've never had a bad unit but because they swapped them for me without hassle while my past experience with OWC is that it's more expensive than others without the customer care to justify it.

nht

dcgoo said:

anome said:
I'd just like to state for the record, that I don't see only 60W for Power Delivery as crippling this device. I think it's quite a neat little package, on a par with other devices of its type. I don't need to buy it, as I have an alternative that better fits my needs, but I can see this being quite useful.

Actually 60W can charge the 15-inch MBP just fine. A little slower than the 85W brick, but it works fine. I've been using my LG Ultrafine 4K with its 60W for months.  

Depends on the load.  Mostly its fine but when I've got my MBP running max to process data on a 60W charger it doesn't charge or drops slowly.

 But it's a travel hub and for the 15" you have more than 1 port so when it matters (like trying to charge up over a layover at the airport) don't plug the brick into the hub even if you need the hub.

d_2

I like this unit’s ports combination vs. the price for a name brand travel dock... I do wish the size was a bit more briefcase friendly, including the included cable as detachable.