Great deal. I've been eyeing out a dock for a while and this is the lowest i've seen it. Most likely because the TB18 came out.
Note, Cashrewards coupons seem to nullify this discount.
The item you linked is just a hub (port splitter), which would still require external power brick to charge the laptop.
The Dell unit above also has a power supply built in (hence 240W).
So you could power a type-c charge capable laptop and compatible monitors from it directly, removing the need for additional laptop power brick and monitor power cables.
This is a Thunderbolt dock, can give you 2 4k screens, a bunch of ports and charge on the 1 cable.
Buddy, there's no display port, mini DP, Audio jack etc. If you want to daisy chain on a dedicated GPU this, or a similar dock, is what you need.
so is the difference between dock and adapter just that the dock is powered by AC?
How does it compare to this? https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-usb-c-mobile-adapter-da…
Looks very similar to the link above, just a branded item and a slightly different set of ports. The Dell has ethernet and 3 different video outputs. HooToo has card reader, more USB ports but only HDMI.
There's a lot of overlap between dock and dongle. For me, a dock is more of a stationary item - dongles just don't have the circuitry to make the most out of the Thunderbolt port
Also note that the TB16 fixes issues with past docks not utilising the dedicated GPU.
The current Dell docks don't have great reviews unfortunately. Take note and check them out first.
They're good, but not amazing. I'm using a D6000 at the moment and it's great for what I need. BUT the huge downfall is that I can't game on DisplayLink with this.
damn ! these cost $489 …. there must be like dozens of these lying around the IT guys' office at my work.
Also, you know, computers…
The prices for docks vary significantly from dock to dock. In businesses, most basic docks with DisplayPorts/ HDMI would suffice. Functionality does differ significantly from dock to dock and across brands, so it's important to know what you're looking at.
Is this compatible with the new macbook pro 2018?
The dock should be since it has thunderbolt, but you should research it just to be safe. Historically, there were some issues with Apple supporting Daisy chaining + Docks.
Have a look at the OWC (or Kensington, but i like the OWC) thunderbolt 3 docks for a MBP
Dell docks have always had issues with OSX, because the chipsets used in them are unsupported. There's a bypass hack but you have to re-do it every update. Not worth the hassle.
My dell doesn't use type c for charging, but what does this do differently to https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/389208
Admittedly, that deal has expired, I'm sure it's available at a slightly higher price.