14 DAY TRIAL // Matrox, a company specializing in graphics, imaging, and video technology solutions, has launched the Matrox DS1, a Thunderbolt docking station that turns your MacBook into a desktop computer.
Don’t get ahead of us. Your MacBook Air / MacBook Pro will remain just as portable. The only difference will be an array of extra ports and connectors that will surely delight any business / dorm user.
The Matrox DS1 “brings all the productivity benefits of a desktop computer to MacBook and Ultrabook users,” says the vendor.
It boasts a Thunderbolt connection for your Mac and then outputs electrons for a large DVI or HDMI display, a full-size keyboard, a mouse, a microphone or an audio system, etc.
For corporate users, the gigabit Ethernet port will enable data transfers 18 times faster than Wi-Fi. The dock also boasts one SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port, and two USB 2.0 ports.
The DS1 also complements Apple’s MacBooks with a sleek aluminum construction.
Commenting on their new product, Alberto Cieri, senior director of sales and marketing at Matrox, said: “Today’s MacBooks and Ultrabooks are powerful enough for most corporate users but their limited connectivity makes them inconvenient, and their small screens and keyboards make them uncomfortable to use in the office all day.”
“The new Matrox DS1 docking station easily enables the creation of an ergonomic workspace and brings much-needed expandability for printers, scanners, storage, smartphones, optical drives, cameras, flash drives, and other peripherals.”
Apple itself sells the Thunderbolt Display, a successor to the Cinema Display which comes with the added benefit of using a 10Gbps Thunderbolt connection. It also features three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one Gigabit Ethernet port.
“Thunderbolt delivers unparalleled performance, flexibility, and simplicity to personal computing,” said Jason Ziller, Intel’s director of Thunderbolt Marketing. “Products like the Matrox DS1 docking station help highlight what Thunderbolt makes possible.”
Matrox will showcase the DS1 at Computex Taipei 2012 in the Intel booth, M0410 – located in the NanGang Exhibition Hall. The hardware will be priced at $249 U.S / €200 and will become physically available at authorized dealers in September.