The MacBook Pro is great - if the daily Struggle with the connections would not be: Even if USB Type C is the future, most accessories at home and in the office still requires the use of dongles, docking stations and adapters. The Dockcase wants to close this gap.
First of all, the DockCase is a ... Case. So far, so unsurprisingly. The MacBook glides easily into it and finds place there passgenau place. The tab for the closure adheres magnetically. The small fold underneath provides space for the supplied, short USB-C cable.
Plenty of connections
But what makes the DockCase special is the ... You guessed it ... Dock. Quite right: Built in the artificial leather cover is a whole journey of connections, which make the case a mobile docking station. These include:
- 1 LAN connection (1 Gbit)
- 1 HDMI connector (4K with 30Hz, full-HD with 60Hz)
- 1 USB Type C connector for power (up to 100W)
- 1 USB Type C connector for data (up to 5 Gbps)
- 3 USB Type A connectors (up to 480 Mbps)
- 1 microSD connector
- 1 SD card slot (SD-XC, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, SD-HC)
- The functionality is explained quickly: the MacBook rests open on the case, the connection to the dock is the short type C cable. For this purpose, another USB port is attached to the long edge of the sleeve.
In the test, the connections, with the exception of the micro SD card slot, worked perfectly. For this, it took long fingernails to push the card so far, so that it also snaps into place. The manufacturer points out that this is a pre-production device. USB sticks and micro- as well as SD-cards could easily be mounted. Also the HDMI connection worked perfectly. In short, the device does what it is supposed to do.
Prices and availability
The manufacturer is looking for kickstarter supporters for his project. "Early Birds" pay 69 dollars. On the manufacturer side you can register and be informed as soon as the campaign starts. Later, the shell will cost $ 129.
Conclusion
Approximately 70 euros is a reasonable price for the future you can leave the dongles in the drawer. For the final product, I wish me but a few more color variations. Our test device is under the protection of being a "beta version". The connection between the leather and the plastic does not fit exactly in the area of the connections.
If the manufacturer bugs these small mistakes, one gets a MacBook sleeve, which not only has rarity, but brings real added value. If you are on the road and want to log into the network without the need for a wealth of adapters, connect cards and connect monitors and peripherals, DockCase has a loyal companion at hand.