The problem (for some folks) with Apple’s Mac laptops is their dearth of ports. The StarTech.com Dual-4K Universal Docking Station is a viable solution though, with a price tag of US$330.99, it will likely appeal only to whose who need LOTS of extra connectivity. For example, owners of the 16-inch MacBook Pro are likely candidates.
Why do you need a docking station? If you use your laptop as your main computer at home, in the office, or both, it allows you a setup just like a desktop, with ports to attach a keyboard and mouse and other USB devices, extra storage, wired Ethernet, and an external monitor.
The Dual-4K Universal Docking Station is easy to set up, as it’s a driverless docking station. It’s great for corporate offices, shared workspaces, home offices, educational facilities, and hotel business centers where a user can easily connect their Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C laptop.
Using the included Thunderbolt 3 cable, users with Thunderbolt 3 laptops have up to 40 Gbps of performance, including the ability to connect up to two uncompressed 4K 60Hz (UHD) displays with a single cable connection through the dock. Using the same Thunderbolt 3 cable, users with USB-C laptops can connect up to two 1920×1200 (WUXGA/HD) resolution monitors.
In addition, the docking station can also charge a laptop through USB-PD power delivery and offer multiple peripheral connections (keyboard, mouse, storage, audio, etc.) and wired networking through the same single cable connection to a laptop.
The Dual-4K Universal Docking Station is Thunderbolt-certified for both Mac and Windows. It sports a total of five USB ports (3x USB-A / 2x USB-C) with up to 10 Gbps data transfer speeds (USB 3.1 Gen 2) for connecting additional USB devices. The StarTech station also provides Gigabit Ethernet for a wired network and a combo microphone/speaker audio jack for 3.5mm audio peripheral connectivity
Conveniently, it comes with a Thunderbolt 3 cable to connect to both Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C laptops. What’s more, there’s a security lock slot.
Do you need it? Your average user (such as my wife and daughter) won’t, but if you salivate at the docking station’s specs, it’s likely an accessory you’ll want to add to your collection.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
