My hub of choice for use with my laptop is Satechi’s Pro Hub Slim. However, if you need a LOT more ports, you may need OWC’s US$299 Thunderbolt Go Dock.
The question is how much you’ll be willing to pay for what may be the ultimate dock/hub for the Mac. The Thunderbolt Go Dock is now available for pre-order on OWC.com for US$299 and will start shipping in April. Apple World Today got an advanced copy.
Our take: if you need the power this baby packs and can afford it, you’ll be getting a full-featured Thunderbolt dock with a built-in power supply that boasts 11 ports. OWC touts it as a solution “for additional ease and connectivity while on the go so you can work from anywhere.”
The Thunderbolt Go Dock can be taken on the road, but it’s not a small item that you can just stash in a small carry case. Still, it is a one-dock solution that works fine with all past, present and (I suspect) future Thunderbolt and USB devices and accessories, so it can’t logically be a tiny peripheral. Plus, the Go Dock has a built-in power supply, so there’s no need for the bulky brick usually needed for non-bus-powered solutions.
With it, you can transfer files up to 2.5x faster with the upgraded Ethernet port, experience higher resolution of up to an 8k display with the HDMI port, and download photos and videos from SD memory cards. You can do all this even while keeping your devices charged thanks to the Go Dock’s 90W power delivery.
The Go Dock is also very flexible in its usage. In addition to working with the Mac, it’s compatible with the iPad, PCs, Android devices, and Chromebooks. And a nice feature is that it comes with OWC’s Dock Ejector software to safely disconnect multiple drives at once in a single click.
The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a
professional who needs to be able to connect a variety of devices to your computer of choice while traveling, it may easily be worth 400 big ones.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
