I looked for a long time to find something that would allow me to have more ports for my M1. I found something and it is perfect for me. No, I am not getting paid for this or any benefits.
It is called the Ivanky Docking Station Pro and you can find more information in the link earlier. For $150 you get a ton of ports, and the ability to power your computer and everything else that you could possibly need. I looked at many different brands of docking stations/hubs and this was the best and most affordable. A second choice might be a Kensington which costs $350 or discounts with larger purchase quantities. I didn’t have great luck with Kensington so that doesn’t impress me at that price.
This is frankly more than I need, but I am also testing it for work so it is a worthwhile thing to have some experience with. Plus I like the fact that with all the features it has I can test all kinds of IT equipment. It is a helpful tool that will give me more options to do my job.
Why am I sharing this with you? It is my goal to share things that I think might help others. Before this, I was using a 7 in 1 Anker Adapter which has worked poorly, and I needed more ports than it offered. I could have purchased a 12-in-1 Anker adapter, but that cost $100 and didn’t offer the ability to charge my laptop as well so more cables. I don’t mind paying $50 to reduce the number of cables that I have around my desk and I am curious and like trying things out.
There were a few people who said they had occasional problems with it and it did cause me some concern and hesitation about buying it. However they were in the minority, and by far more positive comments were common. No product is perfect, and if this doesn’t work I will send it back and then delete this post. As much as possible I try to only have things that I know work well here. My gut feeling is that it will work great and I will be happy using it. What happens to my old Anker adapter? I’ll find a friend who could use it.