4 ms·

MST makes getting a dock cheaper. It's very cheap to get a hub or dock that can do two or even three monitors over MST, with power pass through and a few extra

MST makes getting a dock cheaper. It's very cheap to get a hub or dock that can do two or even three monitors over MST, with power pass through and a few extra USB ports for a mouse and keyboard or printer. Like $30-$50. Maybe you spend another $50 for a decent extra charger to go with it. On Mac you basically HAVE to get an expensive $200+ TB dock to get a one cable multi-mon setup. The new M4 MBAs can still only do two external screens at a time. It's better but the competition can do more.

cnst 1y ago
Yeah, my $79 Chromebook, could literally already do 2 external USB-C monitors, at 1/10th the price of an M4 MacBook Air! The best part about DP MST is that most monitors already have a DP-Out, so, you can already daisy-chain even without having to buy a cheap dock. I'm pretty sure DP-Out would be even more popular if not for the macOS users leaving all the negative reviews about the daisy-chaining not working after paying a full half price for a DP MST monitor compared to a Thunderbolt one! Ironically, some manufacturers simply remove the DP-Out port, and release the resulting product as a Mac-friendly version of an identical PC monitor with a DP-Out. My fav USB-C / DP MST monitor deals, have been HP Z24m G3 at $149.99 USD in early 2024, and PHILIPS 4K UHD IPS Black 27E2F7901 at $209.99 in mid/late 2024, both 400nits with DP 1.4, USB-C and DP-Out, at far cheaper prices than any comparable Thunderbolt monitor: https://slickdeals.net/f/17456364-23-8-hp-z24m-g3-2560x1440-90hz-ips-conferencing-monitor-150-free-shipping https://slickdeals.net/f/17456364-23-8-hp-z24m-g3-2560x1440-... https://slickdeals.net/f/17650827-philips-creator-series-27e2f7901-27-4k-uhd-ips-black-display-usb-c-built-in-kvm-height-adjustable-daisy-chain-pd-96w-209-99 https://slickdeals.net/f/17650827-philips-creator-series-27e...
cosmic_cheese 1y ago
I’d buy the Thunderbolt dock anyway because plain USB-C docks/hubs have been consistently flaky and generally frustrating in my experience, even under Windows/Linux. The reduced frustration is easily worth the higher cost.

cnst 1y ago

Yeah, my $79 Chromebook, could literally already do 2 external USB-C monitors, at 1/10th the price of an M4 MacBook Air! The best part about DP MST is that most monitors already have a DP-Out, so, you can already daisy-chain even without having to buy a cheap dock. I'm pretty sure DP-Out would be even more popular if not for the macOS users leaving all the negative reviews about the daisy-chaining not working after paying a full half price for a DP MST monitor compared to a Thunderbolt one! Ironically, some manufacturers simply remove the DP-Out port, and release the resulting product as a Mac-friendly version of an identical PC monitor with a DP-Out. My fav USB-C / DP MST monitor deals, have been HP Z24m G3 at $149.99 USD in early 2024, and PHILIPS 4K UHD IPS Black 27E2F7901 at $209.99 in mid/late 2024, both 400nits with DP 1.4, USB-C and DP-Out, at far cheaper prices than any comparable Thunderbolt monitor: https://slickdeals.net/f/17456364-23-8-hp-z24m-g3-2560x1440-90hz-ips-conferencing-monitor-150-free-shipping https://slickdeals.net/f/17456364-23-8-hp-z24m-g3-2560x1440-... https://slickdeals.net/f/17650827-philips-creator-series-27e2f7901-27-4k-uhd-ips-black-display-usb-c-built-in-kvm-height-adjustable-daisy-chain-pd-96w-209-99 https://slickdeals.net/f/17650827-philips-creator-series-27e...

cosmic_cheese 1y ago

I’d buy the Thunderbolt dock anyway because plain USB-C docks/hubs have been consistently flaky and generally frustrating in my experience, even under Windows/Linux. The reduced frustration is easily worth the higher cost.