I don't want a dock, I settle for you to fix that crooked youtube plaque in the back! By the way, as always, nice video! Sometimes I forget to say that, but that does not mean that I forget to appreciate all your hard work.
I've been using my CalDigit TB3 dock for years now, and it is wonderful...but, like you said about yours, it too is getting a little long in the tooth! This one looks quite nice!
But displaylink (not to be confused with displayport, which I think is what they're going for....) you probably should mention the fact that (at least for the fusiondock pro 1) - Instead of just outputting a display signal your mac will be doing screen capturing, encoding and sending compressed display information over usb (as data) which is then decompressed by a proprietary chip for finally outputting to a display, And it'll need displaylink software to do all that, displaylink is a last resort if you _need_ more displays than your mac can handle natively, otherwise native display outputs are higher performance and don't waste system resources whilst performing worse. (try watching a 4k/60 video on the display link output - I'd assume a few are native outputs and the remaining is displaylink)
@@AZisk And because it functions as a capture/recording- some DRM protected content (Netflix, for example) doesn't work. It's totally fine for most workflows but not great for actually consuming media
I have this dock running (2) LG Ultrafine 5k monitors. It has been incredible. Very reliable. Dock does get pretty hot, but I haven't had any issues with it.
Are you able to connect to both 5k monitors through the one cable from the dock, or do you have to plug one of the monitors into the other side of the macbook pro?
There are 2 ports on the back of the dock that you use. So 1 thunderbolt cable from each 5k display straight to the dock. The reason it can run both display on the dock is there are 2 thunderbolt chips inside the dock. The cable that plugs into the MacBook Pro is a custom dual thunderbolt cable.
I tried buying the same dock 2-3 months ago and they put me on hold for more than a month until I had to personally go and cancel it. For those that are considering getting it, if you don't mind having it a month later after purchasing it then go ahead, do note that it is originally from China. On hindsight, I'm glad I didn't as 400$+ for a dock is too much and feels more like a premium to reduce desk clutter.
I got the FusionDock Max 1 a few months ago, and it arrived incredibly fast-just two days to my doorstep! FYI I'm based in the US. I use it to hook up my MBP M3 Max 1 to three external displays. Worth every cent!
Wow, that’s a DOCK! I could really use its little brother, as the last of my trusty OWC USB-C docks finally died on me about a month ago. (I’ve been using them for longer than I can remember, still have a TB2 dock of theirs in a closet someplace. I’ve been an OWC customer since the early 1990s 😮) Right now I’m using an OWC USB-C travel dock and a third-party USB-C to DisplayPort adapter to drive a 4K and FHD monitor, and its a bit of a PITA dealing with two separate cables, plus the DisplayPort monitor is a bit janky about showing up when I plug it in. It’s good to see another solid manufacturer of Mac gear hit the market, this is good news for everyone!
I currently use a Plugable Thunderbolt hub with three USB-C ports -- a few ports short of what I need for two monitors, webcam, Yubikey, two external SSDs, wireless mouse adapter, and occasional syncs with my mobile devices or finicky scanner. Both Fusion devices look amazing!
I have two setups that share one dock. My work setup is a Dell laptop with dual monitors using an older Dell dock and my second is an M1 Mac, also dual monitors. I just move the thunderbolt cable from one machine to the other to switch 😂 Multiple displays is the best! Love that you can do that all USB C. Thanks for the great content. You have one of the most practical channels out there!
I've had a Caldigit TS3 for a good number of years now, and other than getting a little on the warm side, it's been solid. Glad to see another decent one on the market (and three monitor support to boot, which is nice).
This would honestly be perfect for me! Just got my first macbook for school a couple of weeks ago after binging all your videos lol. And as a film/cs student, it has been so refreshing to finally have a system that functions so well!
I haven’t thought of a dock for years, since the initial port reductions on Mac products. 2.5G is the game changer for me if USB 3.2 Gen 2 at 20Gbps is also a thing, then lots of external storage I own just got faster! Exciting to hear your take on using this! Had to comment at the 3 minute mark, ‘cause I like free stuff!
I just bought a Lenovo Legion Slim with almost all the ports at the back facing the wall, and when I put the laptop on my desk and try to connect my monitors to it, all the wires will touch the wall. I'm considering buying one of these docks so that I do not need to plug my power cable, monitor cables, mechanical keyboard, and Logitec speakers one after another on the laptop. Rather I just need to connect all of them to this dock and don't need to care about them, and connect the dock to my laptop when I get back home. Great video, Alex. Thanks as always.
I'm considering getting a Thunderbolt 3 dock for my MacBook Air cause my Mac doesn't support Thunderbolt 4 anyway and the price of Thunderbolt 4 docks is more pricey. Right now I'm using Anker USB C hub which is still amazing but doesn't give the full potential that my mac has.
Just realized you wear those polos too, like me. Probably because it was a bit crumpled :D Cool device, I'm totally in! For me it's two monitors (including my MacBook) FOR NOW :)
Hi Alex, thanks for all your hard work. I'm a heavy Windows user on the music production side of things and your videos have helped me integrate Macs into my system!
All those docks looks very nice. Good to have a few more options, hopefully it's as reliable as your old one. They would be mighty handy. I'm currently running my M2 Mac Mini without one, but have a little spider web of cables through USB switchers and a 4 port USB hub with 2 monitors (HDMI and Thunderbolt), of which one has another built in hub...Hidden away otherwise I would OCD on the cables on my desk.
My curren setup is just a one monitor y my Mac display, pretty simple but gets the job done. Also will be great a follow video about this dock because some docks just works well at the start but few months latter dies of something. Thanks for covering this, great video.
I use 3 monitors with Windows/PC. my setup : 2 of them 4K and the 1 is fullHD. Like your videos: they are not too long, very nice explaining, quality video and voice and simple key points. Very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Definitely will try this dock. Thank you for your review! Now which monitors to pick? What size, refresh rate, one thing is sure, though, all will be OLED.
I have been using a thicc dock by Dell for years (with two USB-C cables too) and a two-monitor setup. But recently I switched to using a desktop PC for all at-desk work and got rid of the dock.
I’m using one but it’s 49 inch 5120x1440 120hz display and I love it… my next monitor will be even bigger with 2x4k and 240hz refresh. When I switched to this setup I forget about multi monitor setups
I like single/semi large monitors and used to use the USBs in the monitors for my plugins. I thought this was the cleaner way to go but my constant need to plug stuff in has me on the cusp of jumping on the dock train. The decent ones are just pricey... I'm not sure if I can justify the expense but you got me playing with the idea. .
I’m so tired of having multiple dongles and wires all over the place. That travel dock looks like exactly what I need as I use both a Surface and 16” MBP for work and creating, and frequently go on business trips. I output to dial 27” one landscape and the other portrait. Thanks!
I currently have the EXACT same OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock! I've loved it to death. I just purchased a new Lenovo Slim 7x Snapdragon X Elite laptop, and I really would consider upgrading to a Thunderbolt 4 Dock! I recently found your videos on Devlopment setups and your reviews of the new Qualcomm X processor-based laptops. Thanks for all the great work you're doing. You keep me coming back with the quality of your reviews and the clear and direct nature of presentation!
End of May, iBoff RCC put up a video about USB-C port failure on Apple-Silicon MacBook Pros. My take-away was to avoid having something constantly plugged into the lower-left port. Makes me hesitant to use the FusionDock Max 1 versus the Pro 1
I am loving this video! I spent almost a month tracking down a bad OWC TB doc, and ended up replacing a drive, a TB cable, only to find out it was the doc crashing my computer. I am now back to an old doc with 2 USB hubs hanging off the back, plus a separate power brick just to power the laptop, and the old one Igets so hot, could toast a sandwich on it. I am always in awe on how hard it is to find a reliable TB doc. Maybe I am drawing too much power as power user? This doc piques my interest as I am looking once again for a good TB doc for my MacBook Pro and something that will likely support the MacBook Pro M4 when it comes out. This unit seems to fit the bill. I can't wait to see how you like it after a few months! Stay Awesome.
I was a big proponent of multiple monitors for years but I have downsized to 1 display. I find that with my ADHD it helps juts to concentrate on one thing at a time. I used multiple desktops on my Mac and just 3 finger swipe between them.
@Alex do you think you can get more info regarding the below 2 things? 1. Does it support 4k on more than 60Hz. They only list this on their website 2. They have this statement "*The FusionDock Max 1 is not compatible with PC or MacBooks equipped with Intel chips." > And although I could understand that Maybe macbooks with intel have an older TB so that could be an issue, what is the issue with Intel PCs?
i've been using no dock honestly, I haven't found anything that is worth buying until now. i'm on a macbook pro 16' 2023 model, so my connection is like this. 1 hdmi port to 1 monitor (Code) 1 type c -> another monitor (Code) 1 type c -> another small portable monitor (mainly used for communication stuff, eg slack, teams) main macbook screen -> web browsing, documentation and testing frontend ui downside, a lot of cables flying around my table
Never used a dock, my setup is 3 computers joined together by wifi using Synergy to share a mouse. It works alright, usually doesn't bug out. I do get disconnections once in a while though. The advantage is I have the three OS available at all time. My Windows computer is a first generation Intel 920, dates back to 2007! I can still game on it for light stuff that needs Windows. Would like to try out a dock, see if that works better for my MacBook.
I wonder why solution with two thunderbolt ports combined connected via one cable is still not popular. A lot of computers, not only macbooks have 2 x USB 4/TB ports on same side. and thanks to it you can connect peripherals without worrying about bandwidth and slowing down of peripherals.
So I realized I needed a Hub some time ago. Instead of OWC, like you went with, I got a Caldigit. First the element hub (now on my wife's MacBook Pro M1 Pro) And Finally the TS4. It basically has everything except not quite as many monitors and I don't have a SPDIF Connector.. It has 18 connections versus the 20 of the Ivanky, but both are 2.5 Gig ports. Best Part of the TS4 is that is fully handled by a single Thunderbolt 4 port. I like the idea of the ivanky a lot, especially since it would mean limited tradeoffs. Right now I have to use 2 of 3 Thunderbolt Ports + The HDMI , with the ivankey I would only need the 2 of 3 TB ports.
Well, I use an LG Ultra Wide (2560x1080) via Thunderbolt most of the time. I have another one which I don't use, because I found it a bit distracting about the fact I have to put windows and applications in both of them and having then to manage those. It turns out Stage Manager fits me better than having additional monitors.
Thanks for the review Alex. I have a Macbook M3 Pro (14") arriving Tuesday, so great timing. The dock market seems quite saturated. It can be a bit challenging to find reliable solutions actually worth the coin if you're on ultrawide. One thing I noticed is several of the attractive options seem to be a coil whine lottery... These iVanky units look solid though. Enjoy your new NAS speeds sir. :)
Very nice, I like the idea of the housing being seperated from the base. With my dock it gets very hot and makes me feel uncomfortable, not to mention it costs a lot of money and one would think that heat dissipation would have been better for $350 Macbook Air M3 Dock: Caldigit TS3 Plus Monitors: Samsung 34" SJ55 / Samsung Odyssey G9 49"
Running 6 monitors / displays on my M3 Max MacBook Pro. Using an OWC Thunderbolt Dock with 2x DP out for my BENQ 4K Monitors and an (instable) Noname Displaylink Dock with 4x HDMI / DP out for my other 3 4k Monitors and the Elgato Prompter. Considering switching to the FusionDock TBH, and then adding a good DisplayLink Dock chained to it for the remaining displays. Am I crazy?
I have had several docks sitting on my wishlist for years. Never can seem to get it in the budget. The amount of screen real-estate shown here just sparks all the productivity options in my brain. I would love to rely on luck but now it seems I need to find a way to make the plunge. Great vid as usual! Currently using 2 Samsung 4k monitors using just the ports on the MacBook Pro. No dock at this time.
Imagine paying $400 for 2.5Gb, why don’t these companies include a 10Gb nic at this price point? The dock looks great but c’mon now 10Gbe should be included.
I'd love a new dock. I'm still using a Corsair TB3 dock with my MBP M3 Max. My displays don't always wake up from sleep without my power cycling them. It doesn't always keep my laptop charged when doing things like photo editing.
This is the reason i don't have a Arm mac, my last gen x86 mac runs 3 monitors fine(2 × 1080p, 1 x 4k, plus laptop display). This is the type of hardware that might let me do the upgrade when i need it.
I currently use a cheap Belkin dock to drive a LG C9 with the macbook as an extra display. This would be a huge upgrade for my setup - especially the 2.5 GB ethernet. Good luck to everyone!
Wow. Loads of ports all imaginable devices. Techies dream. Hope to hear details on the switch and nas setup. I have multiple monitors as well with simple own hub.
This is pretty cool! I am a product manager who does some indie iOS development on the side, and I use a single 39" ultra-wide monitor from LG. I have my tried-and-true M1 MacBook Air, which I got when I was still a student, and I use the CalDigit TB3 dock.
The Max dock looks nice, but it's disappointing that the Pro dock uses DisplayLink, but I'm not sure if I can justify the upgrade from my Henge/Brydge Stone Pro just to plug in 1 less cable. To be fair I don't also know why any mac user would care about 2.5GBit given that SMB is essentially non-functional on the Mac.
I use Plugable. Definitely not as capable as this one but it does the job. I use my Mac with dual boot still so I need it to run my monitors either in Mac OS or Windows.
I just can't do the $300 dock thing yet, I use my travel hubs instead. At $30 a piece with their own HDMI out it does the same job for what I'm doing now, until these thunderbolt things come down to earth on pricing.
Interesting possibilities. I like improving my setup. I currently have a 4 monitor setup, but am concerned with the performance toll it is taking on my laptop.
I don't want a dock, I settle for you to fix that crooked youtube plaque in the back! By the way, as always, nice video! Sometimes I forget to say that, but that does not mean that I forget to appreciate all your hard work.
i appreciate that! one day I’ll fix it.
I've been using my CalDigit TB3 dock for years now, and it is wonderful...but, like you said about yours, it too is getting a little long in the tooth! This one looks quite nice!
But displaylink (not to be confused with displayport, which I think is what they're going for....) you probably should mention the fact that (at least for the fusiondock pro 1) - Instead of just outputting a display signal your mac will be doing screen capturing, encoding and sending compressed display information over usb (as data) which is then decompressed by a proprietary chip for finally outputting to a display, And it'll need displaylink software to do all that, displaylink is a last resort if you _need_ more displays than your mac can handle natively, otherwise native display outputs are higher performance and don't waste system resources whilst performing worse. (try watching a 4k/60 video on the display link output - I'd assume a few are native outputs and the remaining is displaylink)
good explanation of DisplayLink!
@@AZisk And because it functions as a capture/recording- some DRM protected content (Netflix, for example) doesn't work. It's totally fine for most workflows but not great for actually consuming media
Yeah the max dock has two thunderbolt chips so doesn’t use displaylink but good to point out.
I have this dock running (2) LG Ultrafine 5k monitors. It has been incredible. Very reliable. Dock does get pretty hot, but I haven't had any issues with it.
Are you able to connect to both 5k monitors through the one cable from the dock, or do you have to plug one of the monitors into the other side of the macbook pro?
There are 2 ports on the back of the dock that you use. So 1 thunderbolt cable from each 5k display straight to the dock. The reason it can run both display on the dock is there are 2 thunderbolt chips inside the dock. The cable that plugs into the MacBook Pro is a custom dual thunderbolt cable.
Cool, thanks
Looking forward the NAS video. Also I am glad to see sponsors with names that are not well-known but make quality products
It is nice to see quality products from less known companies. The multi-monitor support looks quite useful.
I tried buying the same dock 2-3 months ago and they put me on hold for more than a month until I had to personally go and cancel it. For those that are considering getting it, if you don't mind having it a month later after purchasing it then go ahead, do note that it is originally from China. On hindsight, I'm glad I didn't as 400$+ for a dock is too much and feels more like a premium to reduce desk clutter.
Who cares if it’s from China? Basically everything is from China
I got the FusionDock Max 1 a few months ago, and it arrived incredibly fast-just two days to my doorstep! FYI I'm based in the US. I use it to hook up my MBP M3 Max 1 to three external displays. Worth every cent!
its so cool when companys make that type of product that make you to simply be happy. An excellent premium dock,
Wow, that’s a DOCK!
I could really use its little brother, as the last of my trusty OWC USB-C docks finally died on me about a month ago. (I’ve been using them for longer than I can remember, still have a TB2 dock of theirs in a closet someplace. I’ve been an OWC customer since the early 1990s 😮)
Right now I’m using an OWC USB-C travel dock and a third-party USB-C to DisplayPort adapter to drive a 4K and FHD monitor, and its a bit of a PITA dealing with two separate cables, plus the DisplayPort monitor is a bit janky about showing up when I plug it in.
It’s good to see another solid manufacturer of Mac gear hit the market, this is good news for everyone!
The bandwidth of the FusionDock is really impressive.
I currently use a Plugable Thunderbolt hub with three USB-C ports -- a few ports short of what I need for two monitors, webcam, Yubikey, two external SSDs, wireless mouse adapter, and occasional syncs with my mobile devices or finicky scanner.
Both Fusion devices look amazing!
I have two setups that share one dock. My work setup is a Dell laptop with dual monitors using an older Dell dock and my second is an M1 Mac, also dual monitors. I just move the thunderbolt cable from one machine to the other to switch 😂
Multiple displays is the best! Love that you can do that all USB C. Thanks for the great content. You have one of the most practical channels out there!
I've had a Caldigit TS3 for a good number of years now, and other than getting a little on the warm side, it's been solid. Glad to see another decent one on the market (and three monitor support to boot, which is nice).
This would honestly be perfect for me! Just got my first macbook for school a couple of weeks ago after binging all your videos lol. And as a film/cs student, it has been so refreshing to finally have a system that functions so well!
I want to see your NAS configuration. What raid do you use and how you handle your every day data like video recordings and projects..
I haven’t thought of a dock for years, since the initial port reductions on Mac products. 2.5G is the game changer for me if USB 3.2 Gen 2 at 20Gbps is also a thing, then lots of external storage I own just got faster! Exciting to hear your take on using this! Had to comment at the 3 minute mark, ‘cause I like free stuff!
I just bought a Lenovo Legion Slim with almost all the ports at the back facing the wall, and when I put the laptop on my desk and try to connect my monitors to it, all the wires will touch the wall. I'm considering buying one of these docks so that I do not need to plug my power cable, monitor cables, mechanical keyboard, and Logitec speakers one after another on the laptop. Rather I just need to connect all of them to this dock and don't need to care about them, and connect the dock to my laptop when I get back home. Great video, Alex. Thanks as always.
I'm considering getting a Thunderbolt 3 dock for my MacBook Air cause my Mac doesn't support Thunderbolt 4 anyway and the price of Thunderbolt 4 docks is more pricey. Right now I'm using Anker USB C hub which is still amazing but doesn't give the full potential that my mac has.
I would be very happy to receive one of the travel docks Alex.
$439 is almost what the 2019 MacBook Pro 16 inch maxed out costs on eBay now. So wild how technology progresses.
Just realized you wear those polos too, like me. Probably because it was a bit crumpled :D Cool device, I'm totally in!
For me it's two monitors (including my MacBook) FOR NOW :)
Recently found your channel and have been enjoying the content! Keep up the good work. Always informative and to the point without being boring!
Hi Alex, thanks for all your hard work. I'm a heavy Windows user on the music production side of things and your videos have helped me integrate Macs into my system!
All those docks looks very nice. Good to have a few more options, hopefully it's as reliable as your old one. They would be mighty handy. I'm currently running my M2 Mac Mini without one, but have a little spider web of cables through USB switchers and a 4 port USB hub with 2 monitors (HDMI and Thunderbolt), of which one has another built in hub...Hidden away otherwise I would OCD on the cables on my desk.
I’m a college student wrapping up my senior year and I finally got a MacBook. Your channel has been a great resource for me. Love the videos
Your out going setup is very close to my own, and this video has definitely got me looking to upgrade soon.
My curren setup is just a one monitor y my Mac display, pretty simple but gets the job done. Also will be great a follow video about this dock because some docks just works well at the start but few months latter dies of something. Thanks for covering this, great video.
I finally bit the bullet and acquired a used Caldigit TS3 dock. I regret not diving into thunderbolt sooner.
thanks for your down to earth reviews. Looking to replace my aging TB4 dock and next gen opportunities.
awesome Alex. there is so much to learn from you. your videos helps a lot to understand. thanks a bunch
I use 3 monitors with Windows/PC.
my setup : 2 of them 4K and the 1 is fullHD.
Like your videos: they are not too long, very nice explaining, quality video and voice and simple key points. Very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I recently got my first ever MacBook, would absolutely LOVE to try a dock like the ones shown here.
Multiple displays is best to avoid the doorway effect where memory is wiped on context switching.
Definitely will try this dock. Thank you for your review! Now which monitors to pick? What size, refresh rate, one thing is sure, though, all will be OLED.
I have been using a thicc dock by Dell for years (with two USB-C cables too) and a two-monitor setup. But recently I switched to using a desktop PC for all at-desk work and got rid of the dock.
I’m using one but it’s 49 inch 5120x1440 120hz display and I love it… my next monitor will be even bigger with 2x4k and 240hz refresh. When I switched to this setup I forget about multi monitor setups
I like single/semi large monitors and used to use the USBs in the monitors for my plugins. I thought this was the cleaner way to go but my constant need to plug stuff in has me on the cusp of jumping on the dock train. The decent ones are just pricey... I'm not sure if I can justify the expense but you got me playing with the idea. .
I’m so tired of having multiple dongles and wires all over the place. That travel dock looks like exactly what I need as I use both a Surface and 16” MBP for work and creating, and frequently go on business trips. I output to dial 27” one landscape and the other portrait. Thanks!
I currently have the EXACT same OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock! I've loved it to death. I just purchased a new Lenovo Slim 7x Snapdragon X Elite laptop, and I really would consider upgrading to a Thunderbolt 4 Dock! I recently found your videos on Devlopment setups and your reviews of the new Qualcomm X processor-based laptops. Thanks for all the great work you're doing. You keep me coming back with the quality of your reviews and the clear and direct nature of presentation!
End of May, iBoff RCC put up a video about USB-C port failure on Apple-Silicon MacBook Pros. My take-away was to avoid having something constantly plugged into the lower-left port. Makes me hesitant to use the FusionDock Max 1 versus the Pro 1
I am loving this video! I spent almost a month tracking down a bad OWC TB doc, and ended up replacing a drive, a TB cable, only to find out it was the doc crashing my computer. I am now back to an old doc with 2 USB hubs hanging off the back, plus a separate power brick just to power the laptop, and the old one Igets so hot, could toast a sandwich on it.
I am always in awe on how hard it is to find a reliable TB doc. Maybe I am drawing too much power as power user?
This doc piques my interest as I am looking once again for a good TB doc for my MacBook Pro and something that will likely support the MacBook Pro M4 when it comes out. This unit seems to fit the bill. I can't wait to see how you like it after a few months!
Stay Awesome.
I was a big proponent of multiple monitors for years but I have downsized to 1 display. I find that with my ADHD it helps juts to concentrate on one thing at a time. I used multiple desktops on my Mac and just 3 finger swipe between them.
I just started using my M1 Macbook Air in place of my aging gaming computer. This dock would be a game changer for my setup.
I've been looking at a dock ever since I went Mac mini to MacBook Pro. Thunderbolt 4 devices feel so hard to come by. Nice video.
love your content especially as a software dev, and especially love your realistic testing, keep it up alex!
Wow, that dock looks insane. This could really clean up the mess that is my little sister’s setup.
@Alex do you think you can get more info regarding the below 2 things?
1. Does it support 4k on more than 60Hz. They only list this on their website
2. They have this statement "*The FusionDock Max 1 is not compatible with PC or MacBooks equipped with Intel chips." > And although I could understand that Maybe macbooks with intel have an older TB so that could be an issue, what is the issue with Intel PCs?
i've been using no dock honestly, I haven't found anything that is worth buying until now.
i'm on a macbook pro 16' 2023 model, so my connection is like this.
1 hdmi port to 1 monitor (Code)
1 type c -> another monitor (Code)
1 type c -> another small portable monitor (mainly used for communication stuff, eg slack, teams)
main macbook screen -> web browsing, documentation and testing frontend ui
downside, a lot of cables flying around my table
the $200 price for the FD Pro1 might be the most "entry-level" friendly option imo. Still get plenty of power and bang for your buck.
Never used a dock, my setup is 3 computers joined together by wifi using Synergy to share a mouse.
It works alright, usually doesn't bug out. I do get disconnections once in a while though. The advantage is I have the three OS available at all time.
My Windows computer is a first generation Intel 920, dates back to 2007! I can still game on it for light stuff that needs Windows.
Would like to try out a dock, see if that works better for my MacBook.
I wonder why solution with two thunderbolt ports combined connected via one cable is still not popular. A lot of computers, not only macbooks have 2 x USB 4/TB ports on same side. and thanks to it you can connect peripherals without worrying about bandwidth and slowing down of peripherals.
So I realized I needed a Hub some time ago. Instead of OWC, like you went with, I got a Caldigit. First the element hub (now on my wife's MacBook Pro M1 Pro) And Finally the TS4. It basically has everything except not quite as many monitors and I don't have a SPDIF Connector.. It has 18 connections versus the 20 of the Ivanky, but both are 2.5 Gig ports. Best Part of the TS4 is that is fully handled by a single Thunderbolt 4 port. I like the idea of the ivanky a lot, especially since it would mean limited tradeoffs. Right now I have to use 2 of 3 Thunderbolt Ports + The HDMI , with the ivankey I would only need the 2 of 3 TB ports.
Well, I use an LG Ultra Wide (2560x1080) via Thunderbolt most of the time. I have another one which I don't use, because I found it a bit distracting about the fact I have to put windows and applications in both of them and having then to manage those. It turns out Stage Manager fits me better than having additional monitors.
Wow, I was looking for something like that. I'm stuck with my Mac Studio Ultra M1 and hate to reach the back for connections. TB4 is the way to go!
Hands down the best reviewer in UA-cam. No seconds wasted and fun to watch!
Thanks for the review Alex. I have a Macbook M3 Pro (14") arriving Tuesday, so great timing. The dock market seems quite saturated. It can be a bit challenging to find reliable solutions actually worth the coin if you're on ultrawide. One thing I noticed is several of the attractive options seem to be a coil whine lottery... These iVanky units look solid though. Enjoy your new NAS speeds sir. :)
Very nice, I like the idea of the housing being seperated from the base. With my dock it gets very hot and makes me feel uncomfortable, not to mention it costs a lot of money and one would think that heat dissipation would have been better for $350
Macbook Air M3
Dock: Caldigit TS3 Plus
Monitors: Samsung 34" SJ55 / Samsung Odyssey G9 49"
Thanks for the great review! Both Fusion devices look amazing!
Thats a nice amount of pixels this small machine can support.
Running 6 monitors / displays on my M3 Max MacBook Pro. Using an OWC Thunderbolt Dock with 2x DP out for my BENQ 4K Monitors and an (instable) Noname Displaylink Dock with 4x HDMI / DP out for my other 3 4k Monitors and the Elgato Prompter. Considering switching to the FusionDock TBH, and then adding a good DisplayLink Dock chained to it for the remaining displays.
Am I crazy?
Those iVanky docks look sweet. Looking forward to hearing about your new switch, and your preferred wifi router
I might take a serious look at the Pro model of this. My CalDigit dock is a bit long in the tooth. Looking forward to the NAS video as well
Great video as usual. I'm interested in you NAS setup, though.
Still rocking my TB3 dock from 7/19! Time for me to upgrade, too.
I have had several docks sitting on my wishlist for years. Never can seem to get it in the budget. The amount of screen real-estate shown here just sparks all the productivity options in my brain. I would love to rely on luck but now it seems I need to find a way to make the plunge. Great vid as usual! Currently using 2 Samsung 4k monitors using just the ports on the MacBook Pro. No dock at this time.
Imagine paying $400 for 2.5Gb, why don’t these companies include a 10Gb nic at this price point? The dock looks great but c’mon now 10Gbe should be included.
it too much i think you need like 4 lan port (2.5 each) for that or single cat 6 but speed drop by range
I'd love a new dock. I'm still using a Corsair TB3 dock with my MBP M3 Max. My displays don't always wake up from sleep without my power cycling them. It doesn't always keep my laptop charged when doing things like photo editing.
I am using a for years Caldigit TS3 Plus, connected to my Macbook Pro. My setup is two external displays and 3 HDDs for backup.
Haven’t noticed that apple silicon laptops have dual USB-C ports on the same aide until you showed off this setup…
That would be great! been planning on getting one for my home office
I was actually looking for the dock, never used one before but would love to
Great review Al!
This is the reason i don't have a Arm mac, my last gen x86 mac runs 3 monitors fine(2 × 1080p, 1 x 4k, plus laptop display). This is the type of hardware that might let me do the upgrade when i need it.
It's humbling to watch your videos, very informative and easily understandable. You are awesome!
I don't know why but it looks so much smaller than I expected. But compact is never an issue!
I currently use a cheap Belkin dock to drive a LG C9 with the macbook as an extra display. This would be a huge upgrade for my setup - especially the 2.5 GB ethernet. Good luck to everyone!
One monitor directly plugged in to Thunderbolt 4, but I've already bought 2nd one, so looking to buy a dock already for dual monitor setup.
I use ALogic TB4 Blaze dock driving 2 4K monitors and another portable 1080P monitor directly connected to my MacBook Pro M2 Max.
With the new MacOS Sequoia You can use a nested virtualization. WSL2 inside Windows inside MacOS
And to think that professionals in the past moved the world with a single 800x600 monitor...
I would be curious about how hot it gets. I’ve had some thunderbolt docks that get hot enough to cause pain when touching them, which is concerning.
I think it is very important to explain that scammers ask for extra money for fake prices, well done for mentioning that
Wow. Loads of ports all imaginable devices. Techies dream. Hope to hear details on the switch and nas setup. I have multiple monitors as well with simple own hub.
This is pretty cool! I am a product manager who does some indie iOS development on the side, and I use a single 39" ultra-wide monitor from LG. I have my tried-and-true M1 MacBook Air, which I got when I was still a student, and I use the CalDigit TB3 dock.
Definitely 3 monitors at once is what i need, Love your reviews Alex, you always answer all my questions before your review ends, Thanks!
Thanks for the video. Really like your emphasize on development experience.
The Max dock looks nice, but it's disappointing that the Pro dock uses DisplayLink, but I'm not sure if I can justify the upgrade from my Henge/Brydge Stone Pro just to plug in 1 less cable. To be fair I don't also know why any mac user would care about 2.5GBit given that SMB is essentially non-functional on the Mac.
I use Plugable. Definitely not as capable as this one but it does the job. I use my Mac with dual boot still so I need it to run my monitors either in Mac OS or Windows.
Much needed to finally have my setup work properly
Man i would love one of those hubs. Been looking for one solid one to connect my laptop to.
Getting it would be very timely, as I have just started setting up my home office and genuinely need it.
I just can't do the $300 dock thing yet, I use my travel hubs instead. At $30 a piece with their own HDMI out it does the same job for what I'm doing now, until these thunderbolt things come down to earth on pricing.
Thank you for doing this giveaway! Love your videos, they are very informational!
it's really hard to find a good dock that checks all the boxes. that's the one
Interesting possibilities. I like improving my setup. I currently have a 4 monitor setup, but am concerned with the performance toll it is taking on my laptop.
Cool docks! I wonder if the M1 Pro would work with them since they are Thunderbolt 4..
Looks like a solid upgrade for TB3
I use HP elite thunderbolt dock with macbook m1 pro for nearly 25 bucks (used). It handles 2 displays.
Best option for the price!
Amazing, thanks for the review! I am using a plastic travel version and it gets hot. Need to look at one of these.
I was skeptical about that brand but it seem they do quality stuff. The pro called my attention. Like your videos man!
2 monitors, 1 to the hdmi port, the other one with a UGreen dongle to also output hdmi. MacBook Pro M2 😊