I recently switched to a Mac Mini for all my Dorico/audio work. I love it, but I have way more USB peripherals than I do available ports. I’m using multiple dongles at the moment, and I still have to swap inputs from time to time, which I’d rather not do.
What docks have you had good success with on Mac? I need more than just a dongle… it seems like some peripherals don’t work unless they’re plugged in “directly.”
Thanks in advance.
What year is your Mini? What USB speed/connectors?
You’ll want a USB (C, I’m assuming) or Thunderbolt 4 hub that has a power supply. Anker makes some good ones. My older Anker USB Hub, USB 3.0 Hub, 10 Port 60W Data Hub, with 7 USB-3.0 Ports, 3 PowerIQ Charging Ports still works fine. The “Cadillac” company is apparently Caldigit.
Thanks. It’s an M4 Mini, base model.
Nice! Oh, yeah…you’ve got (three) TB4 ports in the back. All USB C devices will run through USB C, but TB4 is faster. For my money I’d go that route for the hub to future-proof it a bit more.
https://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/thunderbolt-vs-usb-c-the-complete-comparison-guide/
One of the most advanced ones available at the moment seems to be the Ivanky’s one.
Thanks. I ended up getting the Ivanky… will report back.
Update: the Ivanky is a great little machine, well built with tons of ports. The only problem is that the included dual USB-C cable is the wrong shape for the Mini, whose USB-C ports are up-and-down rather than flat. I’ve reached out to them to ask.
I purchased two short Thunderbolt 4 ports and it works great. Very nice little dock, perfect for my needs.