I have been using a work provided dock (Dell WD19S, this one) to connect MacBook Air to a Dell 22 inch monitor. I now have to give it back so need to buy my own.
The Dell seems to be GBP30-60 used on eBay, so I would be looking for something comparable, used. unless something new is better and not much more expensive. As you can see, its not an area I have ever had to get involved with!
A quick search suggests docks can be a complicated business so I am a bit worried about what to get, also the difference between docks and dongles.
My needs are simple - I need to connect webcam (USB A in) and single Full HD monitor (Display port in but I could use HDMI) to the dock and connect the dock to MacBook via USB C. That is the minimum anyway.
Any recommendations, or particular pitfalls by buying something ‘dongley’ as opposed to ‘docky’?
Dongles probably won’t last quite as long as a dock under heavy use, and they don’t look nearly as nice on a desk. The upside is that they are so much cheaper than a new dock.
Something like this Anker dongle like below would work well, I think the cable and wall charger are sold separately. In terms of a dock, I don’t think you’re going to do better price-wise than those used Dell ones on Ebay. I’ve used the same two Dell docks for years at home and work, and they’ve been great.
I’ve seen it on sale on eBay for a similar price to the Dell one.
Only downside is that it needs the DisplayLink drivers installed to work, but once they’re installed, it runs fine.
Main reason for purchasing was becuase I could have it set up and not have to move it and didn’t have to buy an additional power supply. I used an Anker dongle initially, but would have to setup my power supply to plug in to it each time I wanted to use it. No big issue but this did all in one and I didn’t have to carry my power supply with me.
If you haven’t bought the monitor yet, get one with USB-C PD support. I have a Dell U2720Q which is 4K, very nice and the ‘dock’ is built-in. I plug in my MacBook with one cable, it charges and all peripherals are connected. It can be found cheaper, second-hand or at the Dell Factory Outlet, but there are also HD, smaller or lower spec screens.
The MBA will only ever draw what it needs to from the power supply. The Lenovo one I use I think is a 90W output through the USB (100W power supply IIRC but needs to power the dock as well)