Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are notable laptops, but they aren't the best out-of-the-box desktop alternatives. Like Henry Ford's Model T, where you had a choice of colors (as long as it was black), modern MacBooks give you a choice of ports, as long as they are Thunderbolt ports.
Apple uses oval Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 ports on its various laptops. Check out our primersBlitz 3EBlitz 4to learn what Thunderbolt does differentlyUSB-C.
Thunderbolt and wireless connectivity are perfectly ready for most mobile professionals on the go. However, many offices around the world still rely on legacy ports like HDMI and USB 3.0, not to mention SD card readers and Ethernet for wired connections. And today, with most business travel confined to a carpeted path between the home office and the kitchen, flexibility is more important than ever. Sometimes you want to work on a single laptop screen in the living room, and other times you're stuck at a desk with a more elaborate one.Multi screen setupand desktop peripherals.
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If you don't want to rely on a bunch of USB-C adapters or dongles on your desk, a docking station might be a better solution than buying a desktop Mac. This guide to the best MacBook docks for your ApplePortable computerhelps you find the right desktop peripheral configuration for you.Check out our deep dive guideto choose a laptop docking station.)
Anker PowerExpand Thunderbolt 4 Mini-Dock 5 em 1
Apple laptops with a Thunderbolt 4 port and macOS 11 Big Sur or later can triple that port and add an additional USB 3.1 Type-A port with Anker's PowerExpand 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 Mini Dock ($199.99) . The upstream port, which connects to your laptop, provides 85 watts of power for fast charging (an hour and three-quarters for a 15-inch MacBook Pro), while the three downstream ports each provide 15 watts for charging portable devices and offer 40Gbps data transfer, copying a 20GB file in just over 10 seconds.
The dock measures 0.9 x 4.9 x 2.8 inches and can control two 4K displays at 60Hz or one 8K display at 30Hz, though Anker notes that the M1 MacBooks only support one external display. Requires Thunderbolt 4 instead of Thunderbolt 3.
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Mini HD Docking Station
Belkin's Thunderbolt 3 Dock Mini HD ($139.99) is a compact (0.8 x 5.1 x 3.1-inch) docking station with 6.8-inch cables that features a USB 3.0 Type-A port, a USB 2.0 connection, a Gigabit Ethernet connection and two HDMI connections provide ports that support 4K resolution at 60 Hz. (M1-based Macbooks only support a single external display via the Thunderbolt 3 port, not extended dual displays.)
The dock is protected by a durable aluminum case and is warranted for two years. And at just 6.3 ounces, it doesn't weigh much more in your backpack than a wireless mouse.
Doca Corsair TBT100 Thunderbolt 3
The Corsair TBT100 Thunderbolt 3 Dock ($259.99) turns one Thunderbolt 3 port into nine ports and slots: two data-only USB-C ports and two data-only USB-A ports, two DisplayPort outputs, one supports 4K signal at 60 Hz, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio jack for headphones and an SD card reader, and a Kensington security cable slot to keep your docking station connected to your desk.
The dock is 0.9 inches tall and has a footprint of 8.9 x 3.3 inches. The included 100-watt power adapter supports 85-watt fast charging.
Dockcase Smart Hub 7 em 1
If you're looking to make the most of a USB Type-C port, check out the Dockcase Smart Hub. This $99.99 gadget turns a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 or higher port into three 5Gbps USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C charging port, an HDMI 2.0 port, which can drive a 4K monitor at 60 Hz as well as SD and microSD card slots can work simultaneously. It also features a 1.3-inch color LCD that rotates 90 degrees and displays real-time port status, device types, and chip temperature.
Constructed of zinc alloy and tempered glass, the Dockcase is also available in a less expensive $20 integrated version that has a 100-watt non-detachable USB-C cable for use with power adapters.
J5Create M.2 NVMe USB-C Gen 2 Docking Station
Its 10 Gbps USB-C interface isn't as fast as a laptop's internal PCI Express connection, but the J5Create model JCD552 M.2 NVMe USB-C Gen 2 Docking Station ($149.99) is a unique opportunity. expand your MacBook storage: The 1- 12.5 x 3.1-inch gray and black aluminum dock has a bay for an NVMe or SATA M.2 solid-state drive (up to size 2280; not included with delivery). It connects to your laptop via two USB-C cables and offers 100 watts of power delivery pass-through.
In addition to the M.2 SSD slot, the docking station features 4K DisplayPort and HDMI video outputs, a Gigabit Ethernet port, SD and microSD card slots, and three USB Type-A ports (one at 5 Gbit/s and two at 10 Gbit/s ). A security cable lock slot prevents it from drifting away from your desk.
Kensington SD2500T Thunderbolt 3 Dual-4K-Hybrid-Nano-Dock
Kensington entered the modern era with a compact Thunderbolt 3 dock in the form of the SD2500T Thunderbolt 3 Dual 4K Hybrid Nano Dock ($199.99).
Compatible with MacBooks and Windows laptops, this dock offers a USB-C port, two DisplayPorts, three USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet connector, a 3.5mm audio jack, an SD card reader, and even a microSD card reader. The included power supply supports a power of 60 watts.
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Mini-Dock
The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock is a portable docking station that converts a single Thunderbolt 3 port into a desktop-worthy array of a transformed USB 3.1 Type-A port, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, and two HDMI ports (both support 4K-Displays). and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
The compact aluminum dock (0.7 x 4.9 x 2.6 inches, HWD) also includes OWC's Dock Ejector software, which securely disconnects external drives connected to the dock and ensures all data is written before loading. disconnection.
Satechi Thunderbolt 4-Dock
Your MacBook M1 or M2 will be better connected with Satechi's $299.99 Thunderbolt 4 Dock. This 1.2" x 7.7" x 3.1" desktop accessory offers three 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports with 15 watts of charging - its host cable provides 96 watts of charging for your notebook - along with three USB ports 3.2 Type A 10 Gbps.
The Satechi dock also features a Gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card reader, and a legacy USB 2.0 port, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack. It weighs just under a pound and supports two 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate.
Satechi USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1
Designed for M1 MacBooks, the Satechi USB-C Multimedia Adapter M1 ($149.99) offers two HDMI monitor ports that support 4K resolution (one at 60Hz, one at 30Hz); two USB Type-A 5Gbps data ports; a 5Gbps USB-C data port; and an 85-watt USB-C charging port.
The aluminum gadget measures 0.7 x 4.7 x 2.4 inches and weighs just 4.9 ounces. Includes SiliconMotion software to use both HDMI ports at the same time.
Docking station USB-C quad HDMI conectável
Fancy more than one monitor? The Pluggable Quad HDMI USB-C Docking Station ($299) lives up to its name with no fewer than four HDMI ports and uses DisplayLink technology to connect multiple displays with resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels at 60 Hz. MacBooks do not support DisplayPort Alt Multi-Stream Transport mode, so the fourth monitor can only be mirrored.
The HDMI quartet is joined at the rear of the device by four 5Gbit/s USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and the USB-C 3.2 connection for your laptop with 96-watt charging. On the front, Plugable offers audio input and output jacks and an SD card reader, as well as a 5Gbps USB-C port with 20-watt charging for phones or other portable devices.
VisionTek VT7100 Triple Display 4K Docking Station com fornecimento de energia de 100 W
VisionTek's dock does so much that we assumed it was a Thunderbolt 4 device, but no, it plugs into a USB-C port (provides 100 watts of power to charge your laptop). It controls up to three displays via one DisplayPort port, one HDMI port (DisplayLink) and one HDMI port (DisplayPort Alt Mode); The first two support 4K resolution at 60 Hz and the third at 30 Hz.
The $369 device also offers four 5Gbps USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a front-facing USB-C 3.1 port, an audio jack, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a USB 2.0 fast-charging port. The silver aluminum docking station is 8.7 inches tall and has a footprint of 6.3 x 3.7 inches.
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