Matrox introduces Thunderbolt docking station
updated 11:22 am EDT, Mon June 4, 2012
Matrox DS1 docking station will be out in September for $250
Matrox, which makes graphics cards and adapters, has now introduced its DS1 Thunderbolt docking station. It can be utilized to connect a number of peripherals to any Thunderbolt connection-equipped MacBook and Ultrabook. The dock has DVI and HDMI ports, along with a gigabit Ethernet port that allows for transfer speeds up to 18 times faster than Wi-Fi.
There is also a USB 3.0 port onboard, two USB 2.0 ports, a microphone input, and a speaker/headphone output.
The dock has aluminum construction and will begin shipping in September, priced at $250.
Belkin will have a similar solution on the market at around the same time with its Thunderbolt Express Dock introduced at CES. It will cost slightly more, however, at $300.
The Thunderbolt interface is appearing in more and more products lately, including Sonnet's adapter that lets users connect a ExpressCard slot to their ThunderBolt port-equipped notebook.
An Intel exec promised that an optical Thunderbolt cable will be released in 2012, and the company introduced a second-generation controller in mid-April.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Belkin hits the mark
I'd give the edge to Belkin when compared to this Matrox dock. Not a huge fan of Belkin in general as many of the items I've bought from them seem to be somewhat overpriced for the level of quality. That said, for $50 more you get a FW port (vs USB3), HDMI (vs DVI) port, and a pass-thru Thunderbolt port. Given the "market basket" of connectivity requirements amongst folks I know, I'd have to give the nod to Belkin for this round. Guess the real proof will be in the pudding in September when the rubber meets the road for both of these products.