MatroxDs1
Latest
Daily Update for December 17, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt docking station now shipping
Just in time for the holidays, Matrox is shipping the US$249 DS1 Thunderbolt docking station to happy Mac users. Unfortunately, you might not be able to get one to put under the Christmas tree, since most large online retailers (Amazon, MacMall, CDW, B&H Photo) are not showing availability. OWC currently shows a 4-day shipping wait time. First announced in June 2012, the DS1 made it just under the wire with a "fall 2012" ship date. The device is designed to create a single cable connection to a host of peripherals, perfect for owners of new MacBooks who want to have the convenience of a desktop Mac with the portability inherent in their laptops. The dock has either an HDMI or DVI port for connecting to a larger monitor, a gigabit Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports. There are also separate input and output connections for microphones and speakers or headsets, and the DS1 can be used as the last device in a chain of Thunderbolt devices. Keep an eye on TUAW, as we're attempting to get one of these for a detailed review. In the meantime, enjoy the video. [via Apple Insider]
Matrox DS1 docking station: $249 buys you Thunderbolt but no daisy-chaining
Thunderbolt has leant its air of celebrity to yet another device: the Matrox DS1 docking station, due out this fall for $249. The laptop dock has room for pretty much everything you'd want to plug in when you reach your desk, including DVI, gigabit Ethernet, audio in and out, two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0. All those connections are then funneled into a single Thunderbolt output to your MacBook or Ultrabook. This provides "one cable convenience," but the lack of an extra port means there's no scope for daisy-chaining Thunderbolt storage or other components you might pick up at some point before 2015. If that seems like an important omission, look out for Belkin's alternative expected this Summer, which finds room not only for Thunderbolt in and out, but also for FireWire -- though likely at a higher price.
