This new docking station is a multitasking dream for MacBook owners

This new docking station is a multitasking dream for MacBook owners

When the MacBook Pro 2021 was announced and Apple declared that its latest Mac would support dual 6K displays and one 4K display (at least M1 Max), the creative professional world must have wondered how to manage these systems one would have wondered, "How will they manage these systems?

Pluggable has developed a new solution that seamlessly links them all together.

Just announced at CES 2022 is the Plugable UD-6950PDZ, which Plugable says is the first docking station with three 4K HDMI ports and three 4K DisplayPort ports. Unfortunately, it does not support 6K monitors.

And this is not for those who want to use six monitors; it just gives you the option of DisplayPort or HDMI for each of the three panels. Because giving people all kinds of choices in how they set up their desks is what a dock should be about.

See a close-up from the back:

For those counting at home, six USB 3.0 (USB-A) ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, audio in/out ports, and a 60W USB-C power port to power the computer is also provided.

This power-to-computer port is compatible with both Thunderbolt 4 (on the latest MacBook Pro), Thunderbolt 3, USB 4, and USB-C. The Pluggable note on supported systems lists USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB-C Power Delivery and highlights M1 MacBooks, Dell XPS and Latitude laptops, and Lenovo laptops as Lenovo laptops are highlighted as compatible.

The Plugable UD-6950PDZ will be available in Q1 2022 at a price of $249.

This should provide more than enough ports for the required number of devices. Docking stations, by their very name and nature, should be "plug-and-play"; the Plugable UD-6950PDZ has more Type-A USB ports than most large docking stations, and its monitor is unmatched.

Personally, I get excited when I see six USB-A ports on a docking station, and while the Plugable UD-6950PDZ may not be targeted at creators, it does have what many consumer-level docking stations We are pleased to see that it has what many consumer-level docking stations do not: an external keyboard, mouse, webcam, capture card, ring light, and ample ports for Steam Deck.

Track the latest announcements in Tom's Guide's CES 2022 live blog, which brings you the latest updates from the virtual exhibit hall.

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