05-21-2023, 05:03 PM
I went with an OWC Gemini (formerly known as Mercury Elite Pro Dual something or other) as it had the options I needed from a Thunderbolt Dock (primarily Thunderbolt connectivity, USB3, and Ethernet). It also has a DisplayPort connector and SD card reader if you need such things (I don't use the DisplayPort but I'm happy it has the SD card reader for occasional "forgot I had that" finds). The two internal bays are 16TB HDDs which are my master archives (very old/unused work files & etc.). One of the USB3 ports goes to a hub where I have a Fujitsu ScanSnap, OWC Optical, and external keyboard/trackball connected under my desk.
Nowadays I've expanded my setup to include a miniStack STX which sits between my MacBook Pro and the OWC Gemini. It has four Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as internal connectivity for both an NVMe stick and an SSD or HDD drive (which for me is a CCC clone (NVMe) and a Time Machine backup (2.5 SSD)). I also have an OWC Envoy Express with another CCC clone connected (thus tertiary backup). I have plans to add a swap-out Envoy Express in this spot.*
For the rare on-the-go moments, I just unplug the MagSafe and the Thunderbolt cable (and an audio plug; the only thing that Gemini is missing) and go.
* I have a lot of backup for many reasons (work, primarily). My naming scheme:
- Moe is the Time Machine Drive in the miniStack STX
- Larry is the CCC Clone inside the miniStack STX
- Curly is the OWC Envoy Express connected via TB4
- Shemp is the planned OWC Envoy Express which will swap out with Curly from time to time so I always have an off-site clone
It's overkill for most but works well for me.
Nowadays I've expanded my setup to include a miniStack STX which sits between my MacBook Pro and the OWC Gemini. It has four Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as internal connectivity for both an NVMe stick and an SSD or HDD drive (which for me is a CCC clone (NVMe) and a Time Machine backup (2.5 SSD)). I also have an OWC Envoy Express with another CCC clone connected (thus tertiary backup). I have plans to add a swap-out Envoy Express in this spot.*
For the rare on-the-go moments, I just unplug the MagSafe and the Thunderbolt cable (and an audio plug; the only thing that Gemini is missing) and go.
* I have a lot of backup for many reasons (work, primarily). My naming scheme:
- Moe is the Time Machine Drive in the miniStack STX
- Larry is the CCC Clone inside the miniStack STX
- Curly is the OWC Envoy Express connected via TB4
- Shemp is the planned OWC Envoy Express which will swap out with Curly from time to time so I always have an off-site clone
It's overkill for most but works well for me.