apple macbook pro 2011 15 inch docking station

#Apple macbook pro 2011 15 inch docking station plus
#Apple macbook pro 2011 15 inch docking station free

We spoke with LandingZone who acknowledged that this is problem that users may encounter under such extreme scenarios. In fact, although the HDMI 2 port is limited to outputting at 30Hz we ran into system slow down issues when trying to run the two external 4K monitors simultaneously with HDMI 1 set to refresh at 60Hz. However, given the bandwidth requirements to drive a monitor at 4K 60Hz, don't expect to be able to do any intensive computing work in that context because of the docks reliance on USB 3.1 Gen 1 tech. In our testing, we were able to confirm that this is indeed the case. Yet one of the two HDMI ports on the LandingZone dock purports to offer 4K support at 60Hz. The interesting thing about the HDMI setup with the LandingZone dock is that even Apple’s own first-party USB Type-C multiport dongle with HDMI port only supports 4K output at 30Hz.

#Apple macbook pro 2011 15 inch docking station free

The fourth and last USB Type-C port on the MacBook is left free for the user to connect Thunderbolt 3 peripherals. Lastly, a third USB Type-C port on the MacBook is used for powering the card readers while also serving as a USB-C passthrough port. The other ports on the rear of the LandingZone (HDMI, USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 x3, USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 1) are connected to the second USB Type-C port on the left side of the MacBook.

To this extent, LandingZone tells us that the HDMI 1 and Mini DisplayPort are connected directly to one of the USB Type-C ports on the left side of the MacBook. Naturally, the way the three MacBook Pro USB Type-C ports have been distributed across the dock’s 16 ports is a very important consideration. However, as the dock actually taps into three of the USB Type-C ports on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it still delivers a theoretical peak bandwidth of up to 15Gbps across its 16 various ports. In other words, data streams will be cued until sufficient bandwidth is available. This necessitates the employment of the “Time Sharing” method should any of its channels start to hit the 5Gbps ceiling. With support for only USB 3.1 Gen 1, the LandingZone dock actually halves the available USB bandwidth from the USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C ports of the MacBook Pro.

#Apple macbook pro 2011 15 inch docking station plus

On the plus side, however, its 96W power adapter not only powers the dock and its ports, but will also keep your MacBook Pro charged.

If it is disappointing to learn that the LandingZone dock doesn't support Thunderbolt 3, it is perhaps even more disappointing to learn at the outset that it only supports USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 at 5Gbps. Thus, it seems a bit strange that this dock from LandingZone is not Thunderbolt-enabled. The USB Type-C ports on the new generation Apple MacBook Pro range support USB 3.1 Gen 2 at 10 Gbps and Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps. They can support many different types of devices or connections, provided that you either have compatible peripherals or the right dongle (or the right docking station).

The technical functionality of the dock itself is a little confusing, and like many things involving USB Type-C, requires some additional explanation: USB Type-C ports, as many will be aware, are very flexible. That said, this shouldn't prove to be a problem under normal use. The plastic won't depress when pressed, but it is not so stiff that it can withstand being easily twisted by hand. The silver MacBook-like metallic paint finish gives you the impression that it is made of aluminium and might be quite weighty, but as it turns out, it is actually made from plastic and is quite light. However, it is a lot lighter than you might expect at 14.4 ounces.

As you can see from the photos, it is not a small dock.