The Brydge MacGuide Vertical Dock is the most recent incarnation of what was once Henge Docks. Brydge acquired the corporate again in 2019 and has continued to develop new models since then.
The idea of a laptop computer dock has been round for many years now. The primary concept is that you just use the laptop computer as a standalone machine when cellular, then snap it right into a dock once you return to your desk, to successfully flip it right into a desktop laptop. There are, although, two completely different takes on the thought …
Two several types of dock
The first, which we tried way back in 2015, is a approach so as to add ports to a MacGuide.
If you’re primarily utilizing a MacGuide Pro with Retina Display for your setup, this powerful dock will present 13 ports of connectivity […] you’ll discover two TRS audio jacks, an SD card reader, HDMI output, six USB 3.zero ports, Ethernet, and two Thunderbolt 2 ports.
If it’s additional ports you need, Brydge nonetheless has you coated as we speak, within the type of a purely exterior dock. The Stone Pro, for instance, will get you 11 ports.
But one of many issues I like most about USB-C is that it allows a single-cable connection between my 16-inch MacGuide Pro and every thing I want to connect with on my desk. A single USB-C cable from my monitor carries energy, video, and information. All my exterior drives are related to the monitor, so join one cable, and I’m performed.
Until, that’s, we received Gigabit broadband. Just, you recognize, as a result of it was out there. That genuinely does ship gigabit speeds, however wants a wired Ethernet connection, in order that meant a second USB-C cable with an Ethernet adapter.
So the Brydge MacGuide Vertical Dock is a distinct sort of dock. It doesn’t provide any additional ports; as a substitute, it presents you an instantaneous, neat, and desk-house saving method to immediately join your MacGuide to your monitor. Just slide the MacGuide down into the dock, and you’re related.
Look and really feel
As you’d count on from a Brydge product, it seems to be nice. The shade is someplace between Apple’s silver and Space Gray, so ought to look good with MacBooks of both shade. It has a tough textured end. The strong metallic chassis signifies that it stays firmly in place in your desk, and the bottom offers one thing you may press down on when lifting your MacGuide out of the dock.
The dock additionally seems to be equally good whether or not you orientate it aspect-on or finish-on. Side-on, there’s a reasonably delicate Brydge brand; finish-on, an much more delicate Y.
Insertion is painless, the interior sleeve defending in opposition to scratches whereas guiding it exactly onto place to mate with the USB-C plugs on the backside of the dock. The firm additionally offers a clear self-adhesive port protector you may connect in case you’re involved about marks.
In use
There are two USB-C move-via ports, with corresponding plugs within the base of the dock. I simply plugged my monitor and Ethernet cables into the bottom of the dock, and now all I do is slide in my Mac and I’m immediately connected. Both dock ports help full 40Gbps speeds, so something you connect with the dock will work precisely as it could when immediately related to the MacGuide.
Prior to that, I used to be utilizing a dumb wood stand, and manually plugging within the two cables every time I returned the Mac to my desk. Admittedly the few seconds it took to do that will not be very excessive up anybody’s checklist of First World Problems, however I need to confess that I do nonetheless love the slickness of simply inserting the MacGuide and being performed.
Setup is straightforward: simply connect the bottom to the dock with two screws utilizing the provided screwdriver.
The dock is designed with purely passive air consumption and exhaust ports which are designed to permit the MacGuide followers to do their factor. If you might be at present utilizing your Mac flat in your desk, that may undoubtedly depart it cooler than it’s at current. In my case, I used to be utilizing a passive stand, and it truly will get barely hotter within the dock – however not notably so, even when video modifying or operating X-Plane on a 49-inch monitor.
Brydge MacGuide Vertical Dock: Pricing and conclusions
The dock is accessible for 4 models and is suitable with a number of generations of every:
- 13-inch MacGuide Air (2018, 2019, 2020, M1 2020)
- 13-inch MacGuide Air (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, M1 2020)
- 15-inch MacGuide Pro (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
- 16-inch MacGuide Pro (2019)
I examined it with my 16-inch MacGuide Pro.
The dock prices $170. Given that it provides no ports or performance to your Mac, and merely saves you the difficulty of manually plugging in a single or two cables, that undoubtedly places it into the “luxury purchase” class. But in case you don’t have already got a stand, it does additionally allow you to recuperate some desk house.
If your MacGuide sees unusually heavy use, and you wish to eke out each single iota of efficiency, my expertise suggests you’ll be higher off with the passive horizontal stand that exposes the complete floor space of the MacGuide, for optimum cooling. But for my use, even when modifying 4K video in Final Cut Pro, there was no problem.
Only you may determine whether or not it’s well worth the cash, however I do must say that it’s a really slick expertise. For me, it’s been the final element of my near-perfect desktop setup.
The Brydge MacGuide Vertical Dock is available from the company’s Amazon Store.
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