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My dongle skills are weak. What do I need to turn one iMac USB-C port into 2+ USB-C ports?
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I'm in the market for something similar. I think this might fit the bill: https://satechi.net/products/4-port-usb-c-hub?variant=39527859781720. I haven't bought it yet because I might want to get a Thunderbolt hub instead, but for what you're asking, this is the closest I've found.
It's kind of silly how difficult it is to find a USB-C hub that actually has, you know, USB-C ports. And I'm a recent convert to the newer hardware after a decade with a 2010 MacBook Pro, but now that everything is coming with USB-C cables, those USB-A ports become less and less handy.
It's kind of silly how difficult it is to find a USB-C hub that actually has, you know, USB-C ports. And I'm a recent convert to the newer hardware after a decade with a 2010 MacBook Pro, but now that everything is coming with USB-C cables, those USB-A ports become less and less handy.
I'm in the market for something similar. I think this might fit the bill: https://satechi.net/products/4-port-usb-c-hub?variant=39527859781720. I haven't bought it yet because I might want to get a Thunderbolt hub instead, but for what you're asking, this is the closest I've found.
It's kind of silly how difficult it is to find a USB-C hub that actually has, you know, USB-C ports. And I'm a recent convert to the newer hardware after a decade with a 2010 MacBook Pro, but now that everything is coming with USB-C cables, those USB-A ports become less and less handy.
2020 5K iMac curiously absent from the list of compatible devices.
Compatible Devices
2020/2019/2018/2017/2016 MacBook Pro, 2020/2018 MacBook Air, 2021 iPad Pro M1, 2020/2018 iPad Pro, 2021/2019/2017 iMac, iMac Pro, 2015/2016/2017 MacBook, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3/Surface Pro 7/Go, Google PixelBook Go, ChromeBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S, HP Spectre Convertible, Razer Blade, Huawei Matebook and more USB-C devices.
I seriously doubt that means it doesn't work with it. Those lists are not exhaustive. (I have an Anker Thunderbolt that explicitly states it's NOT compatible with my M1 MacBook Air, yet it works just fine.) There's no technical reason why a USB-C dock won't work with any USB-C port.
But if you're hesitant, good luck finding something similar. There's not a lot else out there. I say go ahead and buy it; if it doesn't work, return it.
But if you're hesitant, good luck finding something similar. There's not a lot else out there. I say go ahead and buy it; if it doesn't work, return it.
I concur with trusso in principle; it seems to me that compatibility lists generally include the hardware that a company knows will work, because they've successfully tested their hardware with each computer in the list. If they couldn't get their hands on a 2020 iMac for some reason, than they couldn't verify compatibility... but the very fact that they did test it successfully on both a 2019 and a 2021 strongly suggests a high probability of success.
(Of course, there's also the possibility that it's just a typo.)
(Of course, there's also the possibility that it's just a typo.)
Wow, finally - good find.
I guess the immediate demand was for people who wanted their old ports back, hence the mass of hubs with USB-A and HDMI.
Then. although some people may find themselves in a happy world where "everything comes with USB-C", that just isn't my experience. Almost everything I have, even recent purchases, came with a USB-A cable. I've bought USB-A cables recently because I needed an extra-long USB-A-to-B cables, and another with a right-angle B connector. Even many new devices with USB-C ports that aren't sold by Apple or an Apple-centric company will come with USB-A cables. Heck, the new-model Amazon Kindle with USB-C charging came with a USB-C to USB-A charging cable....
For about the same price as this hub you can get a USB A hub with 7 USB 3 ports and 3 fast charging ports... still far more useful to anybody with a bunch of USB A devices.
So, OK, that sounds like me ranting about a product that I don't need - but the point is that for an awful lot of people the only reward for buying a USB-C-to-C hub is to get to replace a lot of perfectly good USB-A cables that give no performance improvement. Which may explain the lack of demand - and hence, lack of supply. Then that leads to a vicious circle - when a lot of your ports are still USB-A (...and Apple still has USB-A ports on all of their desktop models) you're stuck in a mixed USB-C/USB-A economy with USB-A the "lowest common denominator" and no point in replacing type A cables. Hence, 2/3 of the ports in my new Mac Studio have USB-C-to-A adapters stuck in them (...and the other 2 are used for video).
I am going to try it. External ssd seem to work with it. I wanted the video though.. 😥
That is a great find. When I got my M1 iMac I went nuts trying to find a simple USB-C replacement for my old USB-A 4 port hub. All I could find were $100+ overpowered high speed docks with HDMI ports and whatnot. I finally settled on one that plugs in with USB-C but offers like 4 USB-A ports and an SD reader I don't need. All I want is a way to plug a few peripherals in at once. Thanks for sharing this one!I'm in the market for something similar. I think this might fit the bill: https://satechi.net/products/4-port-usb-c-hub?variant=39527859781720. I haven't bought it yet because I might want to get a Thunderbolt hub instead, but for what you're asking, this is the closest I've found.
It's kind of silly how difficult it is to find a USB-C hub that actually has, you know, USB-C ports. And I'm a recent convert to the newer hardware after a decade with a 2010 MacBook Pro, but now that everything is coming with USB-C cables, those USB-A ports become less and less handy.
I think one may have to be careful with hubs like this.
Not because they "don't work". They do.
BUT... the speed you're going to get from the hub's ports is not the "full speed" that USBc is capable of delivering (10gb).
If you check the specs of the satechi hub listed above, you see:
I believe that's because the "out" ports of the hub must "split the bandwith" from the single connection to the Mac.
Which is essentially USB3 speed (same as you'd get from a USB3 "a" port).
I believe that if one wants a hub/dock with USBc ports that are capable of higher speeds, it needs to be a thunderbolt (not "USB") dock.
I could be wrong, and welcome correction from others.
Not because they "don't work". They do.
BUT... the speed you're going to get from the hub's ports is not the "full speed" that USBc is capable of delivering (10gb).
If you check the specs of the satechi hub listed above, you see:
I believe that's because the "out" ports of the hub must "split the bandwith" from the single connection to the Mac.
Which is essentially USB3 speed (same as you'd get from a USB3 "a" port).
I believe that if one wants a hub/dock with USBc ports that are capable of higher speeds, it needs to be a thunderbolt (not "USB") dock.
I could be wrong, and welcome correction from others.
The only other thing I’ve found that has a similar number of ports is the Thunderbolt dock I’ve been considering: https://www.caldigit.com/thunderbolt-4-element-hub/
That’ll certainly do video for you, but it’s a bit pricey and needs to be plugged into power. Depends on your specific needs, really.
EDIT: In case it’s not clear, any Thunderbolt 3 or 4 ports will work perfectly fine with USB-C cables/devices. The Thunderbolt specification requires this interoperability.
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that looks awesome but its not available from amazon(us) and I don't buy direct.
I will be watching for it though. That is exactly what I need.
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Good point. I'd plug any fast external drives in directly to their own port, but it would still be fine for a spinning hard drive which is slow anyway, or any non-drive peripherals.