a review by Tom Piper
I’ve found that my MacBook Pro 15” retina is powerful enough for most business uses, but its limited connectivity makes it a bit inconvenient, and the small screen and keyboard makes it uncomfortable to use in my office all day. I suspect this is also the case for many users of MacBooks who like the power and convenience, but want more comfort and functionality from their prize investments.
The new Matrox DS1 Thunderbolt Docking Station with HDMI Connector (or DVI) changes everything. It now gives me the most from my Thunderbolt port by letting me add a large display, a full size keyboard, a mouse, a wired Ethernet network, and many other peripherals using a single Thunderbolt cable. Immediately, I enjoy all the productivity and benefits of a desktop computer while retaining the portability of my laptop.
I can now save time everyday with the docking station allowing me to come and go without disconnecting and re-connecting all your devices. This one Thunderbolt connection does it all by taming the cables cluttering my desk and saving some wear-and-tear on my MacBook Pro. Its nice to enjoy the productivity benefits and superior comfort of an affordable full-size DVI or HDMI display.
The Matrox DS1 also adds gigabit Ethernet access to laptops that do not have a built-in gigabit Ethernet port, like my 15” retina display. This means that the transfer of data is 18 times faster than WiFi. SuperSpeed is provided with the easily accessible USB 3.0 port, enabling transfer rates of data 10 times faster than standard USB 2.0. The two additional USB 2.0 ports let me also connect anything else I need, like a full-size keyboard and mouse, printer, scanner, storage, smart phone, optical drive, camera, flash drive, and other peripherals. As though that’s not enough, audio input and output connections support microphones, speakers, and headsets. 
With this unit as the last device in my Thunderbolt chain, I could conveniently position my two Thunderbolt port storage device as a pass-through between the laptop and DS1 which lets me easily remove just my laptop, or laptop plus storage, with a single disconnection. All of these things make this a very powerful device.
But, even for all of these advantages, there are some limitations. For example, it would be much more convenient if the DS1 had two Thunderbolt ports, so it could be the pass-through (my hard drive only has one port, so it must be on the end of the chain). Better yet, if it could act as a Thunderbolt hub with three or four ports. It would also be great if it had both HDMI and DVI in the same box, rather than having to purchase one or the other. Similar to the Sonnet Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock (at twice the price), it would be great to have a model with features like a optical drive, and a hard drive, plus FireWire 800, eSATA and more USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports.
All in all, the Matrox DS1 is a very nice way to add more power to my MacBook Pro for $249. You can learn more, and acquire this powerful unit at http://www.matrox.com/docking_station/en/ds1/#close. Matrox also markets high-end multi-display graphics cards, graphic expansion modules, KVM extenders and video wall solutions.
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