appleJAC Users Group

Thunderbolt 3 Dock: OWC's King of Connectivity

a review by Tom Piper

As the demand for USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) connectivity grows, starting with the initial introduction of the MacBook 12" laptop, followed by the wonderful MacBook Pro Touch Bar and other great Apple computers, the response has been varied and extensive from many different companies. I've waited for the emergence of a powerhouse unit, and my patience has been rewarded by this newest dock.

Now with 13 ports that many of us need, OWC's new Thunderbolt 3 Dock has brought unbelievable connectivity to my laptop through an included 20" Thunderbolt 3 cable which delivers more than enough charging power to my laptop and numerous other devices, all at the fastest speeds possible. Compared to the previous Thunderbolt 2 dock (reviewed 01/31/17, applejac/usb-c-docking-solution, and 06/10/15, applejac/thunderbolt-2-dock) this is a major step forward for our latest computer workhorses.

Thunderbolt 3 Dock delivers more connectivity which can drive two 4K displays, connect and charge up to six USB 3.1 (or lower) devices, work with legacy FireWire storage, enjoy pristine audio, wired networks, and read SD cards, all at twice the speed of Thunderbolt 2 through a single cable. Its a nice size at 1" x 3.5" x 9.1", and only about 1.2 lbs. In addition to the Ethernet green power and amber activity lights on the back, there are also a pair of power lights on the bottom which are hard to see (except in the dark), but this is not a concern.

With its phenomenal bandwidth (up to 40Gb/s), this Thunderbolt 3 Dock is the foundation of my computing setup with gigabit ethernet network connection. With the ability to drive the latest generation 5K displays, two ultra HD 4K displays, or a combination of 4K, HD and other displays with the mini DisplayPort port and additional Thunderbolt 3 port, the viewability possibilites are amazing. The mini DisplayPort port allows for the use of HDMI or VGA dongles for a variety of displays.

Setup out of the box was quick and simple, even though I accidentally plugged a Thunderbolt 2 hard drive into the mini DisplayPort (it fit, but nothing happened, instead I used a dongle to plug it into the second Thunderbolt 3 port). With 135W of power, my 15" MacBook Pro Touch Bar laptop was easily connected and powered (the half-meter USB-C cable seems too short, particularly if I had wanted to plug into the other side of my computer). Yet, my numerous Thunderbolt and USB 3.1 external hard drives power-up immediately when my laptop starts up, and the 128GB Transcend JetDrive SD is comfortable in the SD slot. There is no need for a power switch, because everything comes to life when my laptop starts up or wakes up.

In my daily work, I have a highly-specialized workflow complete with specialized and legacy ports, including FireWire 800 and USB-3 hard drives. The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock also supports my S/PDIF digital audio speakers, as well as an SD card reader and hybrid analog stereo audio headphone/microphone jack. This unit is quiet, unobtrusive, and reliably meeting almost all of my accessory needs; it is truly a powerhouse of connections!

OWC provides a superior level of support and warranty coverage to their customers. Even when not used, they understand the peace of mind afforded by this two-year warranty period. As I have seen with their other products, OWC connectivity solutions are engineered to demanding quality standards in order to deliver the most reliable, highest performance available on the market.

The OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock is available at eshop.macsales.com/preorder/owc-thunderbolt-3-dock for Special Pre-Order Savings of only $299.00. This is the best Thunderbolt dock yet produced by Other World Computing, even though my review unit is still at the pre-certification stage (a firmware update may yet be required). It faithfully upholds the OWC tradition of fine products at very competitve pricing.

 

A Mac Drawn To A Magnet

a review by ©2017 Frank Petrie

 

Several years back, Apple finally gave us Split Screen, albeit only on our iPads. Still it came in handy on any number of projects. Fast forward not too long after and Split Screen appeared on the Mac.

 

I previously owned a mid-2012 MacBook Air. Being able to put every app in full screen mode, swiping back and forth, or toggling between apps in order to quickly access information or graphics from various sources while working on a project was a time saver for me. I felt no need for Split reen.

 

But supposed you could divide your screen into several windows instead to access even more sources. Apparently, somebody had that same desire.

 

I present Magnet (http://magnet.crowdcafe.com/). Every time you move content from one app to the other, compare data side by side, or multitask in any other way, you need all the windows arranged accordingly. Magnet makes this process clean and simple.

 

Think of Magnet (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magnet/id441258766?mt=12&ign-mpt=uo%3D4) as SplitScreen on steroids. Customer ratings are overwhelmingly positive. And it doesn’t take long to see why.

 

Using Magnet is dead simple because you can easily customize it to your liking.

 

First method: Use it with keyboard shortcuts for every position the app has to offer. Old school, yet still the preferred way to navigate your Mac by many. An added bonus is that you can customize all of the keyboard shortcuts to your liking.

 

Second method: There is that little icon sitting in the Menu Bar where you can find predefined window placements or create your own. Usually, I default to my Menu Bar. I just hit the Drop-down Menu, look for the graphic as to where I would like my window placed on the screen and click on it. “Make it so.”

 

But Magnet has devised a third method all their own. Drag your desired window/app to the edge of the screen resizes the window into half of your screen. Drag a window to one of the corners of the display snaps it into quarters. Slide a window to the bottom edge to create vertical thirds. Conversely, slide one to the side edge to create horizontal thirds.

 

And if you want to go full screen, you can maximize either via the Drop-down Menu or by using a keyboard shortcut.

 

You can create whatever layout fits your need perfectly. Taking advantage of customized arrangements eliminates app switching, greatly enhances workspace efficiency and saves tremendous time.

 

When I first used it, the only negative thing that I could say about Magnet was that it seemed to be a solution in search of a problem . . . WRONG! . . . It is an excellent solution for maximizing your screen real estate, particularly if you happen to be in a specific demographic.

 

If you have a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, whether this app will be right for you depends. With a screen size of 15” or less, the more apps that you place on the screen, the more you’ll require the visual acuity of a hawk to be able to read text. (Although an iPad on the side using Duet would help by adding more real estate, allowing you to keep your windows larger.)

 

On the other hand, if you own a 21” or 27” iMac, you have the real estate to make this an invaluable tool. You can stack multiple apps along side each other, in whatever layout that suits your workflow best. Especially if you have one screen. In fact, depending on your workflow, I could see this app possibly eliminating your need to purchase a second display. 

 

I own the former set-up and found using the Menu Bar solution the easiest. No thinking involved. (For me, that’s most decidedly a bonus.)

 

Requirements are modest. Magnet is 64-bit and compatible with OS X 10.9 Mavericks or later. And the cost for all of this? Merely $0.99 USD. So you have no reason not to get this and add it to your toolbox.

 

This review is short and simple. That’s not a reflection of my laziness. But rather a testament to the simplicity of Magnet.

May 2017: The Q&A Meeting Guide

The 12-page slideshow used for the May 2, 2017, appleJAC meeting is available as a PDF download by clicking here: aJ Meeting Guide