The same basic conclusion can be reached just by browsing Amazon and looking at specs and case design similarities.
USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
361–370 of 530 posts
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#362Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd second this. Work in a large F50 and all the enterprise grade ones we've had are decent. This is the current model they are giving folks: https://us.targus.com/products/usb-c-universal-dv4k-docking-... I've been running an Intel MacBook Pro (last intel version I think) on it the last few months with 2 external HP displays, keyboard, mouse, and it is a solid performer.
Argh, DisplayLink :(. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/usb-graphics-adapter,30...
Yes, those displaylink docks are fine for office productivity work, but not that suitable for gaming or media consumption because of the cpu load. On the other hand, I plugged my m1 air into one at work and the cpu load was reasonable even while videoconferencing, so I suppose eventually the overhead of displaylink gets small enough not to be a problem.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#363Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’ve got the TS 3 Plus dock (which has Ethernet) and it has been working flawlessly on my 2020 MBP (Intel) the entire time. I _think_ there was a firmware update in the early days that unlocked the 85 or 90 watt charging. I had heartburn about the price, but it’s been worth every penny. I’m not pushing 4K though, so mileage may vary. I’ve got a 27” TB2 Apple Cinema Display via TB2 to USB-C and a Dell via Display port…
I have the TS3. It's been great BUT.... the Mac has not been great with it in the following ways. (1) I keep my MBP closed. It take 10-30 seconds for it to wake up on keypress. That's so long that I often have no way to tell if it noticed I pressed key. (2) If XCode is debugging and the screen sleeps then MacOS 12 never recovers unless I disconnect the cable, open the lid, get it wake up on the laptop monitor, and th…
Yeah, I kept running into docking problems trying to keep the lid closed as well. It seemed like it worked less than half the time. Worst-case I'd have to restart. Sometimes it'd wake up with no mouse or kbd working, other times my dual 4K60 monitors would be switched left/right, many times just...nothing...
Pretty lame that one of the "best" laptop mfgs in the world can't make docks work right with one of the biggest CPU / IP mfgs in the world. Laptop sleep states were a problem back in the early 90s on Linux...some things really never change.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#364"something sold from a German company is at least an indication that I might get some helpful support if something goes wrong"
Germany is notorious for horrible customer service (e.g. the customer is usually wrong). Does the author assumes that all German companies have the same level of service of a BMW or Mercedes dealership? Hint: those dealerships are in the United States, not Germany.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#365> It honestly feels like no matter what you buy, you get more or less the same hardware, and you’re most likely getting a heavily overpriced product just because some company printed their logo on it. Isn't this like a known thing? Almost all peripherals on Amazon will have dozens of the exact same form-factor with different logos on it. You just buy the one that is the perfect intersection of costs, positive reviews…
The most frustrating part is that I want no logo. It’s the worst of both worlds; no brand reputation, yet still covered in ads.
My friends laugh when i buy *anything, as the first thing i do is black-marker (i generally only buy black stuff) over any logos.
For me, those little flashes of logo are just distracting.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#366"something sold from a German company is at least an indication that I might get some helpful support if something goes wrong" Germany is notorious for horrible customer service (e.g. the customer is usually wrong). Does the author assumes that all German companies have the same level of service of a BMW or Mercedes dealership? Hint: those dealerships are in the United States, not Germany.
I’m pretty sure the author is German.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#367If you want a decent dock you have to spend a bit of money. I went through this pain before accepting the cost and buying a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub[1]. Run's two 4k displays at 60Hz, any peripheral and charges my laptop. So good I bought a second. 1. https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
Remind me to never buy a laptop without a healthy array of dedicated external ports. This is lunacy.
MacBook Air with two USB-C ports:
One for USB-C to Ethernet adapter.
One for Apple adapter that I plug USB-C power into, plus HDMI, plus a mouse.
Always works. Though it can’t prevent me forgetting to plug the Ethernet adapter in and realising I’ve been on wifi all day.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#368What I'm looking is for a good TB4 KVM, I have 2 Macs (work and personal) and then I have a gaming rig, my current setup is a mess, lots of cables here and there (cable management is so hard with a standing desk).
The last time I search for a product like this were only TB3 available. I'm interested in solutions that worked for you in this kind of scenarios.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#369It is super frustrating that it’s basically impossible to find good tech (in some categories). How is the author surprised about this though? Surely they knew about white-label alibaba tech, right? It is almost impossible to avoid it. It’s been this way for at least 5 years. I can pick a ‘white-label’ product by sight now. I suggest everyone develops the same intuition and avoids these disappointments.
> It is almost impossible to avoid it. I am doing these Type-C hubs, and other small stuff peripherals for a living. My suggestion, don't look stuff retail, and don't look big brands, even Dell. Pretty much any "brand business" had zero RnD. Their only feedback channel is the RMA rate. If it gets too bad, they just change the supplier. Instead, I really suggest going the other way. Smaller makers have no money for bi…
Can you please suggest some examples for brand business, and small makers? I'd like to compare them for contrast bit I don't know where to start. Particularly I don't seem to be able to distinguish rebranded whitelabels and actual small makers.
Re: USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)
#370> I’m slightly concerned about the fact that some of the products use electrolytic capacitors. Those hubs get pretty warm, even if you’re not routing your laptop’s power through the hub, and electrolytic capacitors don’t like warm environments, and that’ll significantly shorten their life. However, that’s probably negligible, since lots of resistors are also designed just barely around their load ratings, all the chips run amazingly hot, … it just feels like another product family intended to be used barely one year until it dies, just to end up in the landfill.
Drying out of electrolytic capacitors is a single largest cause of failure of electronic devices these days (apart from physical damage). My friend is in the business of restoring vintage tape recorders and audio amplifiers (from 80s and 90s) and what he does is he just replaces all electrolytes without even looking at them. This usually brings these machines back to life immediately. Resistors usually can handle the heat for extended periods of time: even if some of them bear marks of overheating, they are mostly fine.