Laptops are great for taking desktop-class computing power on the go. They make life easier, as you get to take what you need, wherever you go. When you’re back at home, the lack of legacy ports on 2016 and later MacBook Pros is an issue. Apple removed all legacy ports from these MacBook Pros. Connecting ANY device to any MacBook Pro with Touch Bar now requires a properly equipped peripheral or a dongle. USB-C based peripherals aren’t very common yet, and dongles make computing messy and complicated. Displays – actually multiple displays – are a particularly large problem. The best way to solve this is with a docking station. Here are some of the best docking stations to address not only the need for legacy ports and reduced USB-C dongles, but also the need to attach multiple displays to your MacBook Pro. Outlook for mac search not working. 1 x Universal Docking Station USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station HDMI USB Ports for Windows Mac OS B2 PANON 【6-in-1 Multifunction】2018 Upgrade USB-C Hub one 4K HDMI port,one RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet port,Extend two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports,one. LandingZone USB-C Dock The for MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is a non-Thunderbolt-based dock with a USB-C passthrough (so the passthrough works with Thunderbolt accessories). This dock is meant for 15″ MBPs only and won’t work with Windows Machines. • Ports The device has one dual HDMI/ miniDisplay Port (you can use one or the other) and a second HDMI port to allow you to use at least two monitors. It also has one SD and one microSD card slot, three USB-C ports (data only, no video support), three USB 3.1 Type A ports and a gigabit ethernet port. This dock is one of the few with dual display connections. You can connect at least two displays directly to the dock. You can also connect a third via the passthrough on the right side of the dock. This is probably the best feature of the dock. • Build Quality The device is made of plastic; and unfortunately, feels cheap. Docking is done by manually inserting both USB-C ports on the left side of your MBP into the available adapters on the dock and then sliding the audio jack and 3rd USB-C adapter into the ports on your Mac’s right side. The process slides adapters into three of four USB-C ports and effectively squeezes the dock together. The dock has a dedicated release lever to assist with undocking.This manual squeezing together is problematic. Things don’t always line up right and don’t always sit well together, and the ports don’t always activate. Sometimes you need to sit and resit cables and insure everything fits tightly. Of all docks in this roundup, this dock provides the right mix of legacy ports and display support. It provides the best overall mix of features to cost but lacks Thunderbolt 3 support. The LandingZone Docking Station for MacBook Pro with Touch Bar sells for $299. OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock OWC has always produced quality products, and is one of my favorite Thunderbolt docks. • Build Quality This is by far one of the BEST-built docks I’ve ever laid my hands on. It’s solid, well- built, and easy to use. Coming in two versions – one with Firewire 800 support and one without – the dock works with both Mac and Windows machines. • Ports This dock has thirteen different legacy ports including five USB-A 3.1 ports, one FireWire 800 port, gigabit Ethernet, two TB3 ports, one miniDisplay Port, one SD card reader and one audio out port. You can connect multiple displays to this device via the miniDisplay Port and a TB3 port; however, unless that display is ALSO a TB display, you’re going to have issues daisy-chaining any additional devices to it, so be aware. USB-A ports don’t offer Thunderbolt compatibility.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |