By now we've all had the chance to experience how great USB-C is. Being able to power, connect to, and hook up an external screen all from one port is hugely helpful, especially when it comes to cutting down the number of wires on our desks. BUT... the likes of Apple think that USB-C is now all we need and continue to give us just one or two C ports on their new laptops. The answer? Buy a PC, maybe? Or instead check out the Alogic USB-C Dock Plus.
An external dock such as this uses just one port (in this case the all-powerful USB-C) and allows the user to plug in lots of other stuff to it. The other stuff in question here are all the things we need to actually use a laptop or desktop computer in 2019, despite Apple telling us otherwise. Can you detect a bias in this review?
The Alogic USB-C Dock Plus stood out for us, in a market saturated with similar products, because of the sheer amount of 'stuff' you can connect. This wee thing lets you plug in... HDMI with support for 4K@30Hz, a Mini DisplayPort with support for 4k@30Hz, a Gigabit Ethernet for wired Ethernet, two USB 3.1 (USB-A) ports for your standard USB accessories, Micro SD and SD Card Readers and the pass-through USB-C port, for both data and power. That's good.
It sounds like a lot and it is. Plus it is one of the few USB-C docks out there that features an Ethernet port - a very handy thing when the WiFi is in hot competition in a crowded office. All that, and the dock itself is only 1.5cm thick, and 13cm long. They've fitted a lot in here.
The main headline here, and one that laptop users who use their machines with external displays will care about, is that the HDMI port supports 4K. If you're at all concerned about USB-C ports, the chances are you have a modern laptop with a 4K or better resolution. Therefore it's nice to know that the image can be transplanted to another display at the same quality - if you have a 4K external monitor.
Interestingly, if you use both the HDMI and Mini DisplayPort together, both are dropped to 1080p full HD. This is still fine in our book, and it's useful to know you can split external screens like this with the Alogic USB-C Dock Plus.
If you own a MacBook with a single USB-C port, you'll be glad to know that the dock features one that can run power. So you can set this up on your desk, hook up your power cable, your external monitor, and any USB device that you use daily, and have just one connector to plug into the port when you sit down. And you don't have to buy an expensive and nowhere near as versatile adaptor from Apple! Hooray!
With magnetic shielding thrown into the mix, good for protecting you against interference from Bluetooth and WiFi signals, the Alogic USB-C Dock Plus is a must-buy for those of us bogged down with single or limited ports. Give it a whirl, girl.
£130
Available from www.amazon.co.uk