OWC announces Thunderbolt 3 Dock with ports galore, returns functionality to new MacBook Pro

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  • Reply 81 of 103
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    mac_128 said:
    This is one massive plug-in dongle!

    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.
    I agree this dock should have included a Lightning port, but not for charging. Not sure I follow your thinking as that would require a Male-to-male Lightning cable which doesn't currently exist. The only thing a Lightning port would be good for charging would be an Apple Pencil, which is not currently compatible with the Mac.

    The Lightning port would be there to correct Apples oversight of not allowing their iPhone 7 included Lightning EarPods to be used on a new MacBook. 

    However the the reason it's not on the MBP or likely able to be included on the dock is because Apple isn't likely ready to implement Lightning in OS X, which would require support not only for the headphones, but all Lightning devices, adapters and cables. That's why I think we'll see it potentially first appear on the Retina MacBook update in the Spring. Some evidence points to the fact they didn't include a USB-C charger in the iPhone 7 box either -- basically Apple isn't ready to merge the two platforms together yet. And that's not surprising after seeing the significant engineering that went into its first all USB-C Mac. They likely want to introduce that and get all the bugs worked out before they add Lightning issues to the mix.

    i wouldn't be surprised to see Pencil support added to the Trackpad in near future as well, further justifying adding Lightning.
    it's not an oversight. i would bet the majority of advanced/pro users are either 1) sporting wireless and have been for some time, or 2) have a favorite pair of 3.5mm, which happen to also work on iPhone. i doubt many people are carrying around the stock lightning EarPods and are bummed the crappy freebies won't work on their primary mobile computer.

    get over it. it happened. lighting headphones are a stopgap measure until most people update to wireless. wireless sales are already bigger than wired.
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 82 of 103
    stevehsteveh Posts: 480member
    On the MacBreak Weekly podcast Andy Ihnatko and Leo Laporte both said the new MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard was a "showstopper" and is basically unusable for any serious typists, while Alex Lindsay, head of PixelCorps, said the lack of standard ports removes this latest model from consideration and it is no longer a serious computer for professionals.

    i'm getting the impression some people don't like what Apple is doing with their Macs. 
    Dinosaurs generally don't like change. And given time, most people drift over to resisting change, certainly in the short term.

    I suspect I'd be classed as a "serious typist", having been a technical writer/editor for nearly 40 years. The keyboard seems just fine to me, even having been a user for a long time of Apple's "Lexington" keyboard.

    Someone like Lindsay surely said the same sort of thing back when Apple first switched over to USB connectors, now they're riled up about another change, almost 20 years later. ADB/NuBus/S-100 bus/DB-<various numbers>/Parallel/Serial/SCSI/PCMCIA/... all have had their time in the sun. Eventually the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectors will be superseded by something else, and that by something else later on.
  • Reply 83 of 103
    nolamacguy said:

    wireless sales are already bigger than wired.

    Well, wireless now accounts for more DOLLARS spent by consumers, but actual UNIT sales are still only, what was it, 17%? That means in a group of 20 headphone buyers, only 3 chose wireless. The fact that wireless brought in more dollars than wired is simply down to the fact that wireless headphones are generally more expensive than wired, and likely most people buy cheap wired cans (or just use whatever came with their device, thus adding zero dollars to wired headphone revenues).

    One need only spend some time in a heavily populated area where people are using their headphones (like the downtown core at lunchtime or on public transit) to see that wireless isn't yet anywhere near the dominant listening method. It's entirely possible that it WILL be at some point, and I'm not arguing either for or against it here, I'm simply saying that it's apparent most people haven't made the change. It still remains to be seen how many eventually will. Maybe wireless headphones will be ubiquitous, or maybe they will get the same reception 3D TV did. For now it seems reasonable to expect that the vast majority of users will be plugging their headphones into physical sockets.
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 84 of 103
    mj webmj web Posts: 918member
    prokip said:
    Phil Schiller, Jonny Ive, Tim Cook... honestly guys  this is too much.  If you are going to cut the usual connection options on your gear, at least make it easy for us long suffering, really long time loyal Apple customers ( I go back to an Apple II - want to see my collection of now useless dongles, expansion boxes etc, etc.  I have enough to sink the Titanic) by providing original full featured dongles, breakout boxes etc as part of the deal.  I now have to spend another $299 on top of the increased piece of the MBP just to be able to connect my plethora of gear to your machines.  Argh ....    (I am not as direct "digitol" above !)
    Very sad! Jonny Ive has been relegated to doing voiceovers for a living now. He did zero on iPhone 7 and actually ruined the design of the low profile Apple TV. Lazy SOB! It took Tim Cook and Phil Shiller just a few years to destroy all the magic Steve Jobs accumulated over his lifetime. Apple's downfall is worse than Sony. Overpriced earbuds and 69 cent songs, that's the best Apple has to offer. Very very sad! 
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 85 of 103
    OWC JoshOWC Josh Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    xoop said:
    The reason OWC's dock 'spontaneously' unmounts drives is  that it is poorly shielded. Try putting an iPhone next to the dock then call it. Boom, drives are gone.

    Also, this dock won't power the MacBook? That's a drag.
    I can confirm that the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock will indeed power your 2016 MacBook Pro. 
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 86 of 103
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    OWC Josh said:
    xoop said:
    The reason OWC's dock 'spontaneously' unmounts drives is  that it is poorly shielded. Try putting an iPhone next to the dock then call it. Boom, drives are gone.

    Also, this dock won't power the MacBook? That's a drag.
    I can confirm that the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock will indeed power your 2016 MacBook Pro. 
    Both the 13" and 15" at a rate that matches or exceeds the included PSU's capabilities?
  • Reply 87 of 103
    OWC JoshOWC Josh Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    "Thunderbolt 3 Dock connects to a host Mac via an included 0.5-meter Thunderbolt cable" So much for using it with a 12" MacBook or new MacBook Pro, neither of which even have a Thunderbolt port...
    The OWC USB-C Dock works great for anyone with a 12" MacBook.

    The new MacBook Pro has four Thunderbolt 3 ports, which use the same USB-C connector.

    Check out this blog post with a neat infograph if you'd like some clarity on how Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen 1 & Gen 2, and USB-C all come together: http://blog.macsales.com/38541-thunderbolt-3-usb-c-cables-not-all-cables-are-created-equally


  • Reply 88 of 103
    Apple's (unfortunate) fixation with making everything thinner every year is one root cause of pulling ports & forcing some people to by these boxes. It's not revolutionary to take functionality/usability away. It's interesting to note what we get from ***$10BILLION*** in Apple research each year. Even if only $100MILLION is spent on the MacBook Pro (1%) _this year alone_, it's difficult to see how this translates to the limited set of features in this new version (or the fact that they won't even let the user decide about the tradeoffs to choose 16GB or 32GB -- my 4yr old macbook is running 16GB, where is the minimal *evolution* to support more memory??).
  • Reply 89 of 103
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    Soli said:
    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?

    I'm still getting over not having a vampire tap for Thick EtherNet. I mean, what were Apple thinking?
  • Reply 90 of 103
    Soli said:
    teknishn said:
    digitol said:
    Are you serious!? Defending this sad release with, quotes like we left the headphone jack for pro users. Phill Schiller, go fuck yourself. I can't believe I'm saying that. I used to look up to you man. Sad. 
    I was there when apple dropped SuperDrive, FireWire, Ethernet and more from the mbp. The sun came up the next day. And I was completely content adjusting to 'moving forward' after a short adjustment. That's what Apple does. They move things forward because nobody else will. 
    It's crazy. Thunderbolt was a huge advancement in high-speed data throughput that was protocol agnostic and allowed for communication data and video without issue. It was a boon that Apple invented their own DisplayPort connector that was much smaller than what VESA had created and then got VESA to adopt it and Apple licensed it for free. Then we see Intel try to get TB to be supported by the USB-IF who said "no way!" which Apple then offered up their smaller and better port interface even though using USB would have allowed adoption to increase much faster. And let's not forget that Intel was behind the original USB creation. Then we see finally replace their robust 30-pin connector with the small and reversible Lighnting connector just to see the USB-IF come out with something very similar called USB-C after decades of cheap USB port interface designs that were prone to get bent on the Mini and Micro sizes. 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.
    In Q4 2016. Apple still selling most of it's stuff with USB A connector. The last and greatest iPhone 7 still comes with USB A cable. If USB C is so great NOW, why don't Apple supply the USB C cable with IP7 instead of USB A? Or even drop Lighting altogether and switch to USB C? 

     How many major products Apple is using USB C before this 2016 MBP? 2, which is the MacBook and Apple TV
    Personally, I never own anything use USB C and I buy a lot of gadget. The only USB C thing I ever saw in real life is the new MacBook inside Apple Store.

    Isn't it a bit too rush for all USB C MBP? Why don't they make it half and half? Is it that difficult? If a 2016 MBP user forgot to bring alone the dongle, then there is no way to use any other peripheral in the field. There are lots of things still using RS232. Is there any USB C to RS232 cable out there? Not too many I guess. Is this something that will benefit the Pro user?

    Don't get me wrong, I am a Apple fan boy. My 6years old MBP is dying painful and slowly.
    I was surely to buy the new MBP, but all USB C? Plus $300 for USB C tax? I am not too sure now. 

    According to Phil Schiller, if the MBP 3.5mm audio out is for Pros. Then iPhone 7 must not be for pros. 
    baconstang
  • Reply 91 of 103

    I was there when apple dropped SuperDrive, FireWire, Ethernet and more from the mbp. The sun came up the next day. And I was completely content adjusting to 'moving forward' after a short adjustment. That's what Apple does. They move things forward because nobody else will. 
    It's a laptop that's way too big and expensive for the email / web browser market, but way too limited for professionals.  Of course the sun comes up tomorrow, and this laptop still sucks.
    So why Apple make the MacBook Pro so thin? Remember they compare the thinnest with MacBook in the video. Also, not too sure if a pro musician or engineer need that thinnest and reduce weight 
    baconstang
  • Reply 92 of 103
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    steveh said:
    On the MacBreak Weekly podcast Andy Ihnatko and Leo Laporte both said the new MacBook Pro butterfly keyboard was a "showstopper" and is basically unusable for any serious typists, while Alex Lindsay, head of PixelCorps, said the lack of standard ports removes this latest model from consideration and it is no longer a serious computer for professionals.

    i'm getting the impression some people don't like what Apple is doing with their Macs. 
    Dinosaurs generally don't like change. And given time, most people drift over to resisting change, certainly in the short term.

    I suspect I'd be classed as a "serious typist", having been a technical writer/editor for nearly 40 years. The keyboard seems just fine to me, even having been a user for a long time of Apple's "Lexington" keyboard.

    Someone like Lindsay surely said the same sort of thing back when Apple first switched over to USB connectors, now they're riled up about another change, almost 20 years later. ADB/NuBus/S-100 bus/DB-<various numbers>/Parallel/Serial/SCSI/PCMCIA/... all have had their time in the sun. Eventually the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 connectors will be superseded by something else, and that by something else later on.

    Given how excited Alex Lindsay was about Thunderbolt when it first appeared on Macs, it's surprising he isn't more excited about faster Thunderbolt.

    As for the keyboard, it's a very personal thing. I learned to type on a mechanical typewriter, and nothing really beats the feel of that style of keyboard. However, I've been using mostly computers for the past 30 years, and I've slowly gotten used to less and less travel in the keys, and while I also have some difficulties in the limited time I've spent checking the MacBook keyboard in the local Apple Store, it isn't a showstopper for me, and I find the new keyboard in the MacBook Pro feels much improved. In any event, I may be more prepared to put up with a crappy keyboard just so I can use macOS instead of Windows.

    Also, Alex Lindsay's repeated calls for Apple to release macOS to let anyone run it on any hardware is a particularly stupid idea. It would kill macOS as a product, and possibly Apple as a company. The same approach (almost) killed NeXT and (definitely) killed Be Inc. (Although, in fairness, in each instance it was a desperate attempt to prop up an already failing company.)

  • Reply 93 of 103
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    anome said:

    Given how excited Alex Lindsay was about Thunderbolt when it first appeared on Macs, it's surprising he isn't more excited about faster Thunderbolt.

    And not just quadruple the speed for either direction from the original TB1, but also finally got USB-IF to allow it to use USB-C as the port interface so even we can finally have a universal, robust, versatile, reversible, small, highspeed, future-proofed port interface. This ushers in a new era for computing that simplifying things for well over a decade, if not much longer.
  • Reply 94 of 103
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    viclauyyc said:

    I was there when apple dropped SuperDrive, FireWire, Ethernet and more from the mbp. The sun came up the next day. And I was completely content adjusting to 'moving forward' after a short adjustment. That's what Apple does. They move things forward because nobody else will. 
    It's a laptop that's way too big and expensive for the email / web browser market, but way too limited for professionals.  Of course the sun comes up tomorrow, and this laptop still sucks.
    So why Apple make the MacBook Pro so thin? Remember they compare the thinnest with MacBook in the video. Also, not too sure if a pro musician or engineer need that thinnest and reduce weight 
    why wouldnt i want my deck to be as light as possible? i have to carry it. i like things I'm carrying to be light. thinner is lighter.
    anome
  • Reply 95 of 103
    viclauyyc said:

    According to Phil Schiller, if the MBP 3.5mm audio out is for Pros. Then iPhone 7 must not be for pros. 

    I don't think you meant to say the intended application of an iOS pocket computer is the same as a high-end notebook.

    Obviously there is some overlap between the iPhone and a MacBook Pro in terms of what one does with each of them, but it would be absurd to expect that every characteristic of either should be replicated on the other. Different devices for different uses, thus different interfaces, operating systems and ports.
    anomenolamacguy
  • Reply 96 of 103
    I feel like this would  be the tile to raise the question if ios devices are going to now use usb type C to charge
  • Reply 97 of 103
    I feel like this would  be the tile to raise the question if ios devices are going to now use usb type C to charge

    Seems unlikely. The port on an iDevice does way more than just charge the battery, and Apple guards the user experience jealously. That's a good thing. It prevents compatibility problems and weeds out devices that just plain don't work properly. Because of the proprietary connector, only those with a license from Apple can make things that plug into your device. If it were a USB port, Apple couldn't police what gets jammed in there. People would be connecting their phones to external hard drives and wondering why it doesn't work. Bad people would make plug-in devices that do something fun for cheap as a means to get you to connect it so it can transmit the contents of your device to their servers. Lots of bad stuff would happen, and in the eyes of the public it would all be Apple's fault.

    At least with the Lightning connector you have a fighting chance of everything working the way it's supposed to, even in a world full of thieves.

    Walled gardens are a nuisance, but they come with benefits.

    EDIT: Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying. If you meant "Will iDevices now have a USB-C port on the bottom instead of a Lightning connector," see above. If you meant "Will iDevices now ship with a Lightning-to-USB-C cable instead of Lightning-to-USB-A," my answer would be I dunno, maybe.
    edited November 2016
  • Reply 98 of 103
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    lorin schultz said:
     If you meant "Will iDevices now ship with a Lightning-to-USB-C cable instead of Lightning-to-USB-A," my answer would be I dunno, maybe.
    If we're literally talking about now, then the answer is no, but they will eventually move to USB-C. That's a guaranteed.

    The two unknowns are when and how. There are very very things we know and others we can speculate on. For instance, every Apple Watch owner also uses an iPhone, but not every iPhone or iPod user is a Mac user. In fact, most would fall into the non-Mac user category just by looking at Apple's unit sales, even when making wild estimates that Macs are used for 5 years and iPhones are replaced every year.

    So what Apple has to figure out is how quickly the rest of the PC market will adopt USB-C and what they believe will work best for them in terms of adoption, branding, and cost as to whether they:
    1. Switch all other charging cables and PSUs from USB-A to USB-C, and when to switch from USB-A to USB-C
    2. Do the switch (see #1), but also include a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter, and when to stop including the USB-C-to-USB-A adapter
    3. Keep USB-A, but include a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter, and hen to stop including the USB-A-to-USB-C adapter
    lorin schultz
  • Reply 99 of 103
    Nice that OWC step up to help the new MacBook owners out of tough situation.  Good for them!  It onlt $279!
  • Reply 100 of 103
    Nice that OWC step up to help the new MacBook owners out of tough situation.  Good for them!  It onlt $279!

    I don't consider trading single-use ports for ones that can each be anything I want to be a "tough situation." It's exactly what I was hoping for! I'm thrilled! I hated looking at that empty MiniDP port, wishing it could be an extra USB port. Now it CAN be! *AND* it can still be a MiniDP port! Or HDMI! Or Thunderbolt! Or Ethernet! Plus I can plug in the power cord on whichever side is best for any given situation!

    For me a Pro Tools session requires plugging in an external keyboard (Pro Tools makes extensive use of the number pad), an iLok (USB license authorization dongle), a jog/shuttle controller, power, an external drive, and ethernet. Monoprice sells a $49 adapter that will let me plug all of that into ONE port! Convenient, tidy and CHEAP!

    Honestly, I don't understand the resistance and objection. This seems like a total win to me.
    roundaboutnow
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