Docking stations / port extenders

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Darko

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Hey guys, are any of you using any docking stations or port extenders for your Macs?

I'm doing a bit of research online, and none really stand out. The Belkin express doc according to reviews doesn't power any devices via USB and the USB3 speed is limited. So I'm not too keen on that.

What are you guys using, and are you happy with what you have?
 
Darko said:
The Belkin express doc according to reviews doesn't power any devices via USB
Click to expand...

Not true. I have one of these, and I'm using a SSD in a USB3 enclosure, powered off the dock. I also use a USB3 CF/SD card reader. Works great.

Darko said:
and the USB3 speed is limited. So I'm not too keen on that.
Click to expand...

I don't know what the practical limits are supposed to be, but I do find it comparable with the onboard controllers on my i7 PC. Also, remember that with storage, there is more than just "USB3" involved. If your device doesn't support UASP your transfer rates are not going to reflect USB3's potential.

USB2 was a pig. USB3 is a pig with a lot of lipstick on. It's still a pig. If you're serious about storage speed, use a Thunderbolt to eSATA converter.

Darko said:
What are you guys using, and are you happy with what you have?
Click to expand...

I'm very happy with the Belkin. I bought it precisely to get access to USB3 ports, and it does the job adequately. It's also nice to have everything else plugged into it, so that I only need power and one TB cable to plug into my laptop. Keeps the desk a bit tidier.

For my use, I have a 24" screen hanging off it, gigabit network (dare I say, the performance seems better than the built-in gigabit?), sound, the aforementioned SSD/USB3 drive and card reader, an external (self powered) BD-RW, and a smaller USB2 hub that has my keyboard, mouste and tablet on.
 
I prefer the Lenovo USB3.0 dock Displaylink. Have tried the J5's but the Lenovo unit still works better. You can also run dual monitors from it and you don't have to open the lid when starting up your laptop. Have tried it on Dell and HP laptops as well but make sure you run it off USB3.0 as it runs much slower on USB2 ports.
 
koffiejunkie said:
Not true. I have one of these, and I'm using a SSD in a USB3 enclosure, powered off the dock. I also use a USB3 CF/SD card reader. Works great.

I don't know what the practical limits are supposed to be, but I do find it comparable with the onboard controllers on my i7 PC. Also, remember that with storage, there is more than just "USB3" involved. If your device doesn't support UASP your transfer rates are not going to reflect USB3's potential.

USB2 was a pig. USB3 is a pig with a lot of lipstick on. It's still a pig. If you're serious about storage speed, use a Thunderbolt to eSATA converter.

I'm very happy with the Belkin. I bought it precisely to get access to USB3 ports, and it does the job adequately. It's also nice to have everything else plugged into it, so that I only need power and one TB cable to plug into my laptop. Keeps the desk a bit tidier.

For my use, I have a 24" screen hanging off it, gigabit network (dare I say, the performance seems better than the built-in gigabit?), sound, the aforementioned SSD/USB3 drive and card reader, an external (self powered) BD-RW, and a smaller USB2 hub that has my keyboard, mouste and tablet on.
Click to expand...

Wonderful. Thanks for the breakdown for me! It does look the best to me out of all the other ones I've seen, and they're going for a good price in the states.
 
Darko said:
Wonderful. Thanks for the breakdown for me! It does look the best to me out of all the other ones I've seen, and they're going for a good price in the states.
Click to expand...

Glad I could help!

Disclaimer: Like I said, I don't know what the power limits on the USB ports are. As far as I know, the USB3 spec requires higher output than USB2, but I'm not sure how much and, of course, manufacturers don't always comply with the specifications. For example, my two year old POS Dell Latitude at work still cannot charge my iPad Mini (requires 750mAh IIRC) on any of its ports, including the powered ones on the Dell docking station. Boo to Dell.
 
I'm also not quite sure. I also have a work issued Dell and it doesn't charge the iPad, but the Mac does.
 
Silly Windows users with their USB3 port replicators. If you have a Mac, you'd be stupid not to use a Thunderbolt based solution.

Re: Dell. I don't want to be seen to be slagging off PC laptops. Far from it. Even Dell has some great hardware - the XPS laptops are quite nice. I'm quite impressed with the Lenovo X1 Carbon - if I ever needed to get a Windows laptop, that line will feature high on my short list. But Dell's consumer stuff are polished turds at the best of times.
 
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