Ran Out of MBP Ports
Jul 09 2020
I'm starting to see four USB-C ports is not a lot, or maybe I need to daisy chain things more.
Theoretically I could daisy chain monitors if they had Thunderbolt and maybe that would also include the USB hubs.
(I haven't tried a large copy to copy transfer using my monitor's USB hub. Wonder if it's more stable than the Anker I tossed).
Reading the specs for the LG UltraFine 4K Display at the Apple Store looks like you use one connection to the monitor and that provides power, access to the 3 USB-C ports and a daisy chain connection to a second monitor. So I guess if I need to replace my monitors (and monitors seem to last longer than computers) I'd get either the 4K (24-inch, $700) or 5K (27-inch, $1300).
My MBP supports the internal + 4 4K displays though what kind of desk space you need for four external monitors I don't know. Maybe a vertical monitor stand array so you get a 2x2 set of monitors with the possibility of making them one giant display.
Anyways, now I see that even a MacBook Air with 2 Thunderbolt ports is plenty if you connected to an external monitor that has a hub. It's only if you connect legacy devices directly to MBA that you'd have a problem.
- 1 port for power
- 2 ports for connecting to my two monitors' DisplayPorts
- 1 port to my big monitor's USB hub (and from there I use 2 ports for USB-to-Lightning for iPad and iPhone and 2 ports to connect Drobo 5c and one other external HD)
Theoretically I could daisy chain monitors if they had Thunderbolt and maybe that would also include the USB hubs.
(I haven't tried a large copy to copy transfer using my monitor's USB hub. Wonder if it's more stable than the Anker I tossed).
Reading the specs for the LG UltraFine 4K Display at the Apple Store looks like you use one connection to the monitor and that provides power, access to the 3 USB-C ports and a daisy chain connection to a second monitor. So I guess if I need to replace my monitors (and monitors seem to last longer than computers) I'd get either the 4K (24-inch, $700) or 5K (27-inch, $1300).
My MBP supports the internal + 4 4K displays though what kind of desk space you need for four external monitors I don't know. Maybe a vertical monitor stand array so you get a 2x2 set of monitors with the possibility of making them one giant display.
Anyways, now I see that even a MacBook Air with 2 Thunderbolt ports is plenty if you connected to an external monitor that has a hub. It's only if you connect legacy devices directly to MBA that you'd have a problem.