Henge Docks – docking stations for Apple Mac notebooks
Repost This ArticleThe Henge Docks docking stations for Apple Mac notebook computers give you an ordered desk, with all cables under control, at the same time freeing up some probably much-needed desk space.
The idea for the docks was born of frustration with swapping a Mac notebook as alternately an office computer and a playing movies on a home theatre system. Cords, connectors, maintaining connectivity – nothing was easy, and nothing was tidy.
The docks are designed to be an exact match of the connectivity options on the side of Mac notebooks. The Mac then stands on its side in the dock, keeping things neat and minimising the footprint of the computer on your desk or home theatre furniture.
This is a very new gadget, with the first computer docks only arriving on the harbour docks on April 17, following around 12 months of design, patent filing, contracts, supply chain logistics and more. The company story is a good one. Matt, Alex and Ben met in third grade. Like many childhood friendships they lost touch with each other, but 20 years later they came together as product designer, physics teach/logistics expert and lawyer, to work out how to get the Henge Docks to work, and how to get them to market.
The name of the product, Henge, comes from a reduction of the name of Stonehenge, the monumental and mystifying standing stones located near Salisbury, in England. The Henge Docks stand up in such a way so as to recall the standing stones, hence the name. That, and the makers were able to obtain the domain name for the company website. The company itself is based in the USA, in Arlington, Virginia.
What Macs does the Henge Dock fit?
In the first shipment, there is only one size and type of Henge Dock on offer, for the 13 inch MacBook Pro. Henge will, in the near future, have docks for the following Mac notebooks:
- MacBook white or black plastic (2006 – 2009)
- MacBook white plastic unibody (mid-2009 – current)
- MacBook Pro 15″ aluminium unibody
- MacBook Pro 17″ aluminium unibody
And fortunately, the recent new line of Macbooks gave the Henge Docks no issues for fit or connectivity, so the new Apple Mac notebooks fit the docks just like they should.
I asked one of the co-owners of Henge Docks, Ben Maskell, when we could expect to see the models for computers other than the 13″ MacBook Pro. He said, “We’re not sure when the 15 and 17′s will be ready. We’re kicking our manufacturer right now trying to get them to hurry up. I’d like to say 6 weeks but I’m afraid it could be 12.”
Price
- 13-inch MacBook Aluminum Unibody Late 2008 to Mid 2009 – US$59.95 + shipping
- 13-inch MacBook Pro Aluminum Unibody Mid 2009 to Current – US$64.95 + shipping
Buy the Henge Dock
Buy the Henge Dock
AVAILABILITY UPDATE - Henge Docks Mac docking stations a huge success
Video
This short video demonstrates how the Henge Dock works, and what’s in the box.
Subscribe to TechStyle’s RSS by email service
Keep up with TechStyle’s articles, news, reviews and more, by having it delivered direct to your email inbox. It’s quick and easy to subscribe, and you control your subscription.
Category: Computer Accessories
About the Author (Author Profile)
Scott Fitzgerald started TechStyles in 2010, after 5 years of running the GadgetGuy website, so gadgets and tech have been a big part of his life for quite a while now. Prior to that he edited the Macquarie Dictionary, Travelmate.com.au and NeeditNow.com. Find Scott on Google+Comments (8)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Sites That Link to this Post
- TechStyles Top 10 - June 2010 | Popular | TechStyles | July 6, 2010
- TechStyles Top 10 - May 2010 | Popular | TechStyles | June 6, 2010
- Henge Docks Mac docking stations a huge success | Computer Accessories | TechStyles | May 14, 2010
- TechStyles Picks up Henge Docks – Henge Docks | April 27, 2010
- Dock for Macbook and Macbook Pro - MacNN Forums | April 26, 2010
Don’t waste your money – it’s a terrible device. I have tried this with my MBP 15″ laptop and a HDMI adaptor (Moshi) and an Apple DVI-D adaptor. Suffice to say the HDMI adaptor snapped and the screw damaged the DVI-D adaptor so much that I have had to replace it. The problem lies in the video adaptor not lining up properly. Yes, you can get it to sit in place as you set it up, but once the screw goes in, you’re screwed … the screw starts making the video adapt move on an (ever-so-slight) angle – enough that it no longer lines up with the MBP’s Thunderbolt connector. Force the MBP in and one of three things will happen: the adaptor pushes out, further damaging it’s head; you risk damaging the MBP itself; the metal lip of the adaptor starts breaking.
It’s a great concept and I really wish it had worked, but I am not prepared to damage my MBP for the sake of having this, so I am back to a clutter of cables to connect my MBP to the 24″ monitor on my work desk. Very disappointing.
Cee, did you get in touch with the Henge Dock company about this? If so, what did they say?
Good product, but I would like to see the following things changed:
1. Design some sort of cord keeper for the bottom. The cords just fall out and you have to cram them all back in and hold them there if you lift this to move it around. I’m using duct tape to hold the cords inside the bottom, I shouldn’t have to do this.
2. Cover the set screws somehow. You could recess the area with the set screws a bit to allow some kind of snap on cover, would make it look cleaner. Apple = clean. Exposed set screws = unclean.
Anyway, Thanks for sharing!