Belkin Announces New $400 Thunderbolt Dock, $45 Cables
Belkin announced updates for its Thunderbolt Express Dock as well as Thunderbolt cable at this year's Computex.
Priced at $400, the Dock isn't cheap, but it allows users to connect up to nine desktop or notebook computers with one cable. the dock is compatible with Macs and Windows PCs. The device integrates three USB 3 ports, one Firewire 800, one GbE, one eSATA, one 3.5mm out, one 3.5 mm in, as well as two Thunderbolt interfaces (one upstream and one downstream). Also included is a MiniDP to HDMI Adapter.
“As more hardware companies announce plans to incorporate Intel’s Thunderbolt technology into their products, we aim to create quality accessories that take advantage of Thunderbolt’s blazing fast speeds and other benefits,” said Martin Avilla, general manager of Belkin’s core business unit, in a prepared statement.
A new 3ft Thunderbolt cable that supports bidirectional 10 Gbps datatransfers will be offered for $45 MSRP. Up to six Thunderbolt devices can be daisy-chained using the cables. The dock will become available in September and the cable will be launched in July, Belkin said.
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amk-aka-Phantom Oh yeah? Well, $%^ you, Belkin! :DReply
Damn, I wonder who buys this overpriced... I can't say crap, it's a cool device, but an "average user" won't buy it because it's too much and too complex and a power user doesn't really need it... for nearly the same reasons - 1) price 2) there's an easier way that he already uses. -
rantoc TB device adaptation is slow and that's why the price is high, that's what happens when a new interface is released to only 5% of the world's computers at release (Aka mac's).Reply -
hardcore_gamer I'm not surprised to see the thunderbolt accessory prices. It's an Apple-Intel invention.Reply -
mindless728 hmmmm $400 for this (nd the price of an add in card for me)Reply
or
use a few more of the 14 USB (yes 14!) ports I have, not to mention I already have Gigabit Ethernet, onboard sound, and 4 x USB 3.0 ports -
gwwerner At $45 per cable, I suspect there won't be a lot of daisy-chaining going on. At least Apple will have some competition for their $50 cable now.Reply -
mt2e Thunderbolt straight up does nothing but piss people off who arn't idiots, what a useless copper based product.Reply
3 feet cables at $50 YOUR KIDDING ME.... -
s3anister You could buy a very nice switch for less than $400 and connect many more computers if the goal is data transfer. I just don't see many applications where thunderbolt is useful, save for external graphics.Reply
$400 for the setup plus $45 for cables? Sorry, Belkin you lost me. -
rosen380 Does it need to be stated that this is primarily for people with Ultrabooks that have very limited space for ports and expandability, not so much for people with standard sized laptops that have a full compliment of ports already...Reply