_posts/2017-01-16-macbook-pro-usbc-move-is-a-new-gold-rush--computerworld.markdown
---
title: MacBook Pro USB-C Move Is a New Gold Rush | Computerworld
date: 2017-01-16 15:08:00 -06:00
tags:
- displays
- MacBook Pro
- tech
custom_type: link
link_url: http://www.computerworld.com/article/3154468/apple-mac/macbook-pro-usb-c-move-is-a-new-gold-rush.html
---
Jonny Evans writing for *Computerworld*:
> Apple’s decision to move [to Thunderbolt 3/USB-C](http://www.computerworld.com/article/3144518/apple-mac/10-reasons-to-love-the-usb-c-ports-on-the-new-macbook-pro.html) in its new MacBook Pro with Touch bar models generated some heat but is also fostering a boom in [MacBook Pro](http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/) hubs. These hubs are designed to add support for earlier flavors of USB, Lightning, HDMI and other interconnect standards.
I recently purchased a MacBook Pro, and [wrote a brief review on it][7185-0001]. I'd been doing some research on Thunderbolt 3/USB-C hubs, when I came across this article. The [Elgato Thunderbolt 3 hub](https://www.elgato.com/en/dock/thunderbolt-3) looks pretty great, and essential if you end up buying the new [LG UltraFine 5K Display][7185-0002]. Which, as [I wrote a few days ago is one of your two options][7185-0003] if you want a retina 27-inch display.
I don't understand buying the [OWC DEC](https://www.owcdigital.com/DEC/) unless you're interested in being transported back to 2005 when MacBook Pros were three inches thick. The [HyperDrive](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hypershop/hyperdrivetm-compact-thunderbolt-3-usb-c-hub-for-m) doesn't make sense either. I want to connect the hub to the back of a monitor, not my laptop. Second, if the placement of the USB-C connections is moved, or if it's upgraded to four on each side in a later iteration, this product is immediately obsolete.
In the end, none of these options is really *ideal* per se, but the Elgato Thunderbolt 3 hub is about as close as we'll get in this weird and awkward transition period.
[7185-0001]: https://theboldreport.net/2016/12/my-brief-review-of-the-2016-macbook-pro-with-touch-bar/
[7185-0002]: https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKN62LL/A/lg-ultrafine-5k-display
[7185-0003]: https://theboldreport.net/2017/01/displays-for-designers-and-developers-bjango/