I've heard rumours that Apple helped them designed USB-C, but I don't care how they did it—they could have used alien technology or one of their wishes from a magic lamp for all I care—I'm just glad we now have a robust, reversible, high-speed, universal port interface that supports DisplayPort and Thunderbolt and 100W of power that is future-forward and will be able to scale with the future of personal computing. For me, this is finally the PC industry stepping out of adolescence and into adulthood.
I remember reading a claim from John Gruber that Apple invented it, but they realised that if people found out they were behind it then it would never be adopted as a standard.
At the very least I'd say they were a driving force.
I don't buy the cloak and dagger story that Apple had to invent it in secret because the world wouldn't accept it if Apple was behind it. What matters is that it's a great USB port interface that is adopted and licensed by the USB-IF. They would at least know where it came from. Usually there are many big companies involved with the creation, like with the original USB standard.
I agree you that at the very least Apple's creation of Lightning was a huge influence of what the USB-IF wanted for the future of USB.
In the end, I don't care if it was designed by the Samsung department responsible for the Galaxy Note 7 batteries and Blackberry's ex-co-CEOs—it's an amazing connector that's now in an amazing laptop. I can't wait to get my new MBP.
Heh. The secrecy bit I can well believe. Apple had a reputation for doing proprietary stuff, so I can see PC manufacturers shying away from it, no matter how good it is.
I've heard rumours that Apple helped them designed USB-C, but I don't care how they did it—they could have used alien technology or one of their wishes from a magic lamp for all I care—I'm just glad we now have a robust, reversible, high-speed, universal port interface that supports DisplayPort and Thunderbolt and 100W of power that is future-forward and will be able to scale with the future of personal computing. For me, this is finally the PC industry stepping out of adolescence and into adulthood.
I remember reading a claim from John Gruber that Apple invented it, but they realised that if people found out they were behind it then it would never be adopted as a standard.
At the very least I'd say they were a driving force.
I don't buy the cloak and dagger story that Apple had to invent it in secret because the world wouldn't accept it if Apple was behind it. What matters is that it's a great USB port interface that is adopted and licensed by the USB-IF. They would at least know where it came from. Usually there are many big companies involved with the creation, like with the original USB standard.
I agree you that at the very least Apple's creation of Lightning was a huge influence of what the USB-IF wanted for the future of USB.
In the end, I don't care if it was designed by the Samsung department responsible for the Galaxy Note 7 batteries and Blackberry's ex-co-CEOs—it's an amazing connector that's now in an amazing laptop. I can't wait to get my new MBP.
Heh. The secrecy bit I can well believe. Apple had a reputation for doing proprietary stuff, so I can see PC manufacturers shying away from it, no matter how good it is.
Yeah, but helping to create a universal standard in which the USB-IF licenses isn't proprietary to Apple in the least. This isn't ADC or the absurdly high licensing costs for FW that hindered its adoption.
That looks good. I also like the design. I do, however, question it having only one review. I wish there were better places that would test all these devices. I've seen too many that say GigE only to find out it's not even close because of cheap internals even though USB-C/3.1 is capable of that.
But I don't mean to sound discouraging. I'm glad you posted an option I hadn't yet seen.
Looks legit. For most pre-USB-C needs I think upgrading one's cable collection is the first thing to do.
Mini USB to USB-C. Micro USB to USB-C. "Printer cable USB" to USB-C. Lightning to USB-C. One's monitor connection to USB-C/ tb3.
After that it's time to see what USB-C hub one would really need, and whether it has to be stationary or mobile. I noticed that Dell has a few offerings as well.
Looks good. I particularly like the tiny, portable hub option. I might just get that one. Unlike others vendors, I think it supports 60Hz for 4K HDMI (but I'm not 100% certain).
And? Why do you need Thunderbolt if you're only looking for a single dock for the once every 18 months you might need to whip out the accessory because of some wonky interface from someone still stuck in the 20th century? USB's 5Gib/s will be more than fine for connecting an SD card or VGA monitor.
So why can't Apple come out with a beautiful, kick-ass, Apple supported, it-just-works dock to sell with their device (you know they'd charge $499 and folks would be happy to pay it to ensure their set-up is matched).
I guess because all those ports are just looking backward... clearly I have no courage... you know wanting to do my job today as well as possible, get paid, pay the bills (something clearly Apple execs have no knowledge or interest in)
That is a USB 3.1 Gen 1 product, not a Thunderbolt product. It's not really honest to compare them so directly.
Why does that matter if you don't need TB speeds? Why do you make a big deal about TB but don't indicate if it's TB1, 2, or 3 supported by the accessory?
If I have to do a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation 2–4x a year in a conference room that still requires a VGA connector why do I need a $300 adapter when a $14.99 adapter will suit my needs?
If I have some odd device that I have to plug into my MBP or need to plug in via Ethernet on some rare occasion why do I need a $300 adapter when I can spend $19.99 on an adapter that has Ethernet and 3x USB-A 3.0 ports?
I have Apple's TB-to-Ethernet one for my 2013 MBP so I could restore from Time Machine faster than using WiFi when I first got it. I think that's the only time I ever used it. No one else was selling TB stuff then and I wanted to test the Ethernet performance. It's 2016 and wireless communication is king. Today, with 802.11ac MIMO I don't think I'll use a wired connection to set up my new MBP using Time Machine. I will likely end up buying the $19.99 adapter I posted because I like to plan for the unknown, but I doubt I'll need to use it. Even my iPhone 7 was restored via WiFi from iCloud because it was fast enough that it's no longer a requirement to have the Mac as your Digital hub. I'm very happy that I don't have all these "we should include them on every device just in case someone might use them" ports. I can't tell you the last time I've attached a monitor to my MBP and yet my entire computing life I've had a notebook with a dedicated port just for display-out… until 2013. Now we're truly moving into the future with the USB-C port. This is a good thing.
And? Why do you need Thunderbolt if you're only looking for a single dock for the once every 18 months you might need to whip out the accessory because of some wonky interface from someone still stuck in the 20th century? USB's 5Gib/s will be more than fine for connecting an SD card or VGA monitor.
Several reasons: 1. Existing Thunderbolt-only storage devices, Thunderbolt Displays, etc. 2. Real Gigabit Ethernet NIC with a discrete I/O chip that offloads I/O from the computer's CPU. With USB-based Gigabit Ethernet NICs, the computer's CPU does the Ethernet I/O. Thus, if you want low latency and reliability of Gigabit Ethernet, you need a Thunderbolt-based NIC with a discrete chip in it, such as the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter, which has a Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet chip in it.
That is a USB 3.1 Gen 1 product, not a Thunderbolt product. It's not really honest to compare them so directly.
Why does that matter if you don't need TB speeds? Why do you make a big deal about TB but don't indicate if it's TB1, 2, or 3 supported by the accessory?
If I have to do a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation 2–4x a year in a conference room that still requires a VGA connector why do I need a $300 adapter when a $14.99 adapter will suit my needs?
If I have some odd device that I have to plug into my MBP or need to plug in via Ethernet on some rare occasion why do I need a $300 adapter when I can spend $19.99 on an adapter that has Ethernet and 3x USB-A 3.0 ports?
I have Apple's TB-to-Ethernet one for my 2013 MBP so I could restore from Time Machine faster than using WiFi when I first got it. I think that's the only time I ever used it. No one else was selling TB stuff then and I wanted to test the Ethernet performance. It's 2016 and wireless communication is king. Today, with 802.11ac MIMO I don't think I'll use a wired connection to set up my new MBP using Time Machine. I will likely end up buying the $19.99 adapter I posted because I like to plan for the unknown, but I doubt I'll need to use it. Even my iPhone 7 was restored via WiFi from iCloud because it was fast enough that it's no longer a requirement to have the Mac as your Digital hub. I'm very happy that I don't have all these "we should include them on every device just in case someone might use them" ports. I can't tell you the last time I've attached a monitor to my MBP and yet my entire computing life I've had a notebook with a dedicated port just for display-out… until 2013. Now we're truly moving into the future with the USB-C port. This is a good thing.
Get the new Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter and daisy-chain will your Thunderbolt to Gigabit adapter. Do not go with USB-C based Gigabit adapters. They do not provide a discrete I/O chip to offload I/O from the laptop's CPU.
LOL...Apple specifically points out the compatibility of Thunderbolt3 with hubs and a wide variety of legacy ports in their presentation for the 2016 MBP, and yet the article is trying to claim that port expansion was "lost" originally? Nope. Apple just made a smart decision to stop trying to treat the laptop itself like the hub due to the capability of Thunderbolt3. The customer gets to choose which legacy ports have priority.
Though dongles are somewhat costly and unsightly, it would be a mistake for Apple to design new computers around legacy peripherals. New peripherals will appear soon with the right connectors for use with MBP.
For nearly $300, OWC could have included a Lightning port for iPhone charging. Also a WiFi booster.
Like other breakout docks, OWC's latest product draws more power than is allotted by the Thunderbolt 3 specification, meaning it needs an external power supply to operate at full capacity.
It's hilarious how all these companies advertise these sleek and sexy looking accessories while hiding the fact that they require a big, ugly, obtrusive power brick. I'm not complaining about the need for external power, per se, but about how these companies always hide these little monstrosities from all their product photos and the minimal effort spent on the design of the power adapter itself.
What, no MicroSD slot? What, no 10GigE? What, no VGA? What, no ADC? What, no Serial? What, no Parallel? What, no eSATA? What, no USB Type-B, Type-B SS, Mini-A, Mini-B, Micro-A, Micro-B, or Micro-B SS? What, no BNC connector for Token Ring?
But ... but ... you could plug more dongles into this dongle ....
My Apple ][ roots are bothering me ... I want a wee card that plugs into my MacPro (black cylinder) somewhere, that allows direct access to use a dongle like this else a $10K Super Mac is stuck with yesterday's connection speeds.
Comments
But I don't mean to sound discouraging. I'm glad you posted an option I hadn't yet seen.
Here's another that is cheaper for simpler needs or, rather, potential needs.
I guess because all those ports are just looking backward... clearly I have no courage... you know wanting to do my job today as well as possible, get paid, pay the bills (something clearly Apple execs have no knowledge or interest in)
If I have to do a PowerPoint/Keynote presentation 2–4x a year in a conference room that still requires a VGA connector why do I need a $300 adapter when a $14.99 adapter will suit my needs?
If I have some odd device that I have to plug into my MBP or need to plug in via Ethernet on some rare occasion why do I need a $300 adapter when I can spend $19.99 on an adapter that has Ethernet and 3x USB-A 3.0 ports?
I can even go cheaper for Ethernet for $12.99.
I have Apple's TB-to-Ethernet one for my 2013 MBP so I could restore from Time Machine faster than using WiFi when I first got it. I think that's the only time I ever used it. No one else was selling TB stuff then and I wanted to test the Ethernet performance. It's 2016 and wireless communication is king. Today, with 802.11ac MIMO I don't think I'll use a wired connection to set up my new MBP using Time Machine. I will likely end up buying the $19.99 adapter I posted because I like to plan for the unknown, but I doubt I'll need to use it. Even my iPhone 7 was restored via WiFi from iCloud because it was fast enough that it's no longer a requirement to have the Mac as your Digital hub. I'm very happy that I don't have all these "we should include them on every device just in case someone might use them" ports. I can't tell you the last time I've attached a monitor to my MBP and yet my entire computing life I've had a notebook with a dedicated port just for display-out… until 2013. Now we're truly moving into the future with the USB-C port. This is a good thing.
1. Existing Thunderbolt-only storage devices, Thunderbolt Displays, etc.
2. Real Gigabit Ethernet NIC with a discrete I/O chip that offloads I/O from the computer's CPU. With USB-based Gigabit Ethernet NICs, the computer's CPU does the Ethernet I/O. Thus, if you want low latency and reliability of Gigabit Ethernet, you need a Thunderbolt-based NIC with a discrete chip in it, such as the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter, which has a Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet chip in it.
Get the new Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter and daisy-chain will your Thunderbolt to Gigabit adapter. Do not go with USB-C based Gigabit adapters. They do not provide a discrete I/O chip to offload I/O from the laptop's CPU.
Though dongles are somewhat costly and unsightly, it would be a mistake for Apple to design new computers around legacy peripherals. New peripherals will appear soon with the right connectors for use with MBP.
For nearly $300, OWC could have included a Lightning port for iPhone charging. Also a WiFi booster.