Our first Apple products: How we joined the Cult of Mac
Apple's 50th anniversary makes us look back on how we got started using various Macintosh computers decades ago. Here's how it all began. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station review: Plenty of ports plus SSD slot storage flexibility
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros 17 fast ports, including three Thunderbolt 5 SSD slot 2.5Gb Ethernet Compact case 240W Power Delivery Cons Premium price Our Verdict Power users demanding a host of fast ports will find a lot to like in this compact 17-port dock, especially its built-in (up to 8TB) SSD slot. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$499.99 Best Prices Today: Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station Retailer Price $499.99 View Deal Ugreen $499.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket There are a few Thunderbolt 5 docks fighting it out as the ultimate docking station with incredible numbers of ports, all rated at the top-end, and some with built-in slots for SSD drives to enable the user to dramatically and reasonably affordably increase their system storage. The Ugreen Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station sits somewhere in the middle between the 20-26-port generals and the Thunderbolt 5 troops below. It has a lot of ports but not too many; it targets the high-end in terms of speed; and it includes the SSD slot. The iVanky FusionDock Ultra boasts 26 ports, a drive enclosure and can hook up four external displays all on its own. Now sit down—It costs $649. Most professionals don’t need that number of ports and won’t want to spend that sort of money. The Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 therefore represents a high middle ground where you should get all the ports you need at a price you can afford. Design Laptop docking stations usually come in either long slim horizontal shells or tall vertical towers—sometimes they can be placed either way, as with the CalDigit TS5 and its sibling docks. The Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station takes a different approach, being more of a cube, which fits Apple’s desktop aesthetic quite well, in terms of its Mac mini and Mac Studio computers. The 17-in-1 Maxidok from Ugreen comes beautifully packaged.Simon Jary Its shell is a dark gun-metal gray aluminum chassis with attractive copper-colored grilled sides and back. It’s a welcome change from all-over dull gray gear, and I hope we see more color adventure with Mac accessories in the future, following the success of the colorful MacBook Neo—not that the Maxidok 17 is aimed at Neo users; it’s aimed firmly at the Pro market. It measures 5.2 x 5.2 x 2.1 inches (133 x 133 x 53mm). It weighs in at 1.9lbs (0.87kg). In comparison, a Mac mini is 5 x 5 x 2 inches (127 x 127 x 50mm) and weighs 1.5lbs (0.67kg), so it’s a very close match. Ugreen in fact makes a dock especially for the Mac mini—its forthcoming 10-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Mac mini dock even matches the Mac mini is its silver color. The ports are well placed. The upstream Thunderbolt 5 port that connects to your MacBook is at the back—unlike some rival docks that place it at the front, which increases cable mess in our opinion. Also, at the back are the two downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports and a dedicated DisplayPort 2.1 for one of the external monitors you’ll be hooking up. The two Thunderbolt 5 ports can also be used for display purposes. The Ethernet LAN port is also at the back—it rightly knows its place—alongside three legacy USB-A ports that are fast but offer little in the way of device charging. Two 3.5mm audio jacks finish off the back ports. Front facing are the two fast card readers and three USB-C ports, two of which share 60W of power for iPhone or iPad Pro fast charging, or enough to keep a second MacBook charged if that’s your requirement. There is a power button on the front too, which we prefer, so it’s possible to manually stop power going to the laptop battery during periods of non-use. The design is engineered to dissipate heat. The colorful sides are ridged for passive cooling, plus there is a fan for active cooling when the dock is under greater pressure. Simon Jary Specs and features 17 ports—including six USB and three Thunderbolt—is a lot to squeeze into the dock’s compact cube chassis, but the layout doesn’t feel cramped. One upstream Thunderbolt 5 port (80Gbps/120Gbps, 140W) Two downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W) Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 60W) One USB-C port (10Gbps, 7.5W) Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W) One DisplayPort 2.1 Ethernet (2.5Gb) SSD slot (M.2 NVme up to 8TB) UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) UHS-II microSD card reader (312MBps) 3.5mm combo audio jack (front) 3.5mm In audio jack (back) 3.5mm Out audio jack (back) 240W power supply Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) for data, video and power is found on the latest pro-level Macs, from top-end MacBook Pro and Mac mini to the Mac Studio. TB5 doubles data speeds from 40Gbps to bi-directional 80Gbps and up to 120Gbps in boost mode for higher display bandwidth, resulting in significantly faster data transfers between devices and your Mac. If you need to connect high performance SSDs or RAID devices Thunderbolt 5 rewards you with a PCIe performance that is doubled to 64Gbps PCIe 4.0, and the dock supports transfer speeds up to 6,200MBps. Ugreen decided against offering three downstream Thunderbolt ports in favor of including a dedicated DisplayPort, which helps if one of the monitors you want to attach uses the same connection. If your third monitor requires HDMI or USB-C to connect, you’ll need an adapter cable. Thunderbolt 5 is just as capable as DisplayPort so having a third downstream TB5 would have offered more flexibility of choice for the user. All the six USB ports are rated at a speedy 10Gbps, although they differ in terms of power output potential. Simon Jary Power The downstream TB5 ports can each output power at 15W. Two of the USB-C ports at the front can share 60W, meaning that each can output that amount of power but not each at the same time. The remaining USB-C port is not for charging, and nor are the legacy USB-A ports. Thunderbolt 5 has a mandated higher power delivery (to a connected laptop) of at least 140W (up from TB4’s minimum 100W) with support for up to 240W (vs 140W). The TS5 Plus can power a connected laptop at up to 140W, enough to fast-charge a top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro. To achieve this, make sure you use the included 1m TB5 cable, Apple’s MagSafe 3 Charger, or any of the best Thunderbolt 5 cables. The Maxidok’s 240W power supply is ample for the outlets on offer: 140W upstream, 30W TB5 and 60W USB-C downstream add up to 230W. We expect the dock itself to use up some power, especially when the active cooling is in effect, so the 240W maximum is just about right. Since the power output to the computer is dynamically adjusted, the system will not experience overload even if all ports are operating at full load. In such cases, the charging power to the MacBook will automatically decrease. Based on real‑world usage scenarios, this will not affect the user experience, as the laptop charging power naturally adjusts according to battery saturation levels. 240W is the standard max power for docks, although the mighty CalDigit TS5 Plus has an unmatched 330W power supply and more bountiful power ports than others. The two 60W USB-C ports are powerful enough to charge a second MacBook, but the third USB-C port and all the USB-A ports are not rated for much in the way of charging, although 7.5W is fine for fast-charging an Apple Watch or AirPods case. While two of the USB-C ports are rated at 60W individually, when used at the same time the max output from those two ports is 60W total. The benefit of not having as many powerful charging ports is that the wattage going into the laptop never needs to fluctuate to accommodate other hungry connected devices. You can us the DisplayPort 2.1 plus the two of the downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports to connect up to three displays, depending on your Mac’s processor power.Simon Jary Video options The main purpose of a docking station is to support the running of multiple external displays without using up all the MacBook’s own ports. The 17-port Maxidok can support a single 8K display at a 60Hz refresh rate or 4K at 240Hz. If you need the very highest refresh rate you can achieve 500Hz when the resolution is 1080P; two 2K displays at 480Hz are also possible, depending on the power of your Mac’s processor. Ugreen Multiple display configurations are more set on the limitations of the connected Mac than the docking station itself. Apple’s latest M5 Pro/Mac Macs offer a higher number of extended displays than was previously possible. Both M5 Pro and M5 Max support up to three 4K displays at 144Hz each. With the M5 Max you could daisy-chain a fourth display from the third. Connected to a Mac with the latest M5 Max processor it can support two 8K displays at 60Hz. With the M5 Pro, two monitors are possible with one 8K/60Hz and one 5K/60Hz. M2/M3/M4 Pro/Max support a single 8K/60Hz display, while the M1 Pro/Max is limited to a 6K/60Hz. M1/M2/M3/M4 Pro/Max can handle dual 6K/60Hz. For one display you can use either the DisplayPort or one of the spare downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. The non-Thunderbolt USB ports of the Ugreen Maxidok won’t work as connectors to monitors. For that purpose, you’ll need to use one of the two downstream TB5 ports. Windows users benefit from that operating system supporting Multi-Stream Transport (MST) for DisplayPort and Thunderbolt, and so more can connect to three displays using the Maxidok. The maximum resolution and refresh rate for a triple-display setup is 4K at 144Hz. Adding your own SSD card is easy with the dock’s built-in slot.Simon Jary Storage Some of the latest docking stations—such as the Sonnet Echo 13 and Kensington EQ Pro—include built-in SSD storage so that the dock itself operates like a very fast external disk drive. On the base of the Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Docking Station is a slot for you to add an M.2 NVme SSD up to 8TB in capacity. With Apple’s own purchase-only storage prices being so high, this dock slot gives you a lot of storage flexibility. Start with a 1TB or 2TB card and you can upgrade to 4TB or 8TB when you need to. Installing the SSD card is simple, and Ugreen even includes the required screwdriver; some dock manufacturers don’t. The dock also includes both SD and microSD card readers at the front for you to slip in and out your own portable and affordable storage cards. At the time of writing a 1TB microSD card was priced at around $170 or £125, although that was a 150MBps UHS-I speed card and this dock’s readers support up to 312MBps UHS-II. That’s faster than the 250MBps SDXC card slot built into Apple’s current MacBook Pro. Ugreen Network speeds Most office networks are still rated at the standard 1Gb (Gigabit) Ethernet you’ll have at home, but more modern networks are much faster at 2.5Gb, 5Gb or even 10Gb speeds. Recent professional docks include at least a 2.5 gigabit Ethernet (2.5GbE) port as standard. The CalDigit TS5 Plus and iVanky FusionDock Ultra go all the way to 10GbE. This is helpful if your network is rated that fast, or at least a high level of future proofing for when it is. 2.5GbE is backwards compatible all the way back to Gigabit Ethernet. Passive cooling grills on each side keep the dock at an operable temperature.Simon Jary Price With the high level and number of ports, it’s no surprise that the Ugreen Revodok Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station comes with a hefty price tag—although at $499.99 / £419.99 it comes in significantly cheaper than the $649 iVanky Ultra. It’s the same price as the CalDigit TS5 Plus. That dock offers more ports (20 vs 17) and a higher power output (330W vs 240W) plus faster networking (10GbE vs 2.5GbE). However, it lacks the SSD enclosure that offers the dock user greater storage flexibility. If you have plenty of storage at your disposal, the TS5 Plus is the better deal, but we like the flexibility of the Maxidok’s SSD slot. The $479 Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock has the same SSD slot but fewer ports (12 vs Ugreen’s 17). The $449 Kensington EQ Pro Thunderbolt 5 Dock for MacBook is well priced and has the SSD slot plus a couple more ports, but has a maximum power of 180W that users may find a little under-powered. Ugreen offers a cheaper Thunderbolt 5 dock, the $299 / £249 Maxidok 10-in 1. This doesn’t have the SSD slot and lacks the volume of ports found on the Maxidok 17, plus has 1Gb Ethernet compared to the Maxidok 17’s 2.5GbE. We will be reviewing the 10-port dock soon. For more reviews of the best Thunderbolt docks, check out our detailed comparisons. Simon Jary Should you buy an Ugreen Maxidok 17-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station? You can buy Thunderbolt 5 docking stations with more ports, but the pro-level compact Maxidok’s well-placed 17 might match your requirement sweet spot at the right price. The SSD slot offers you greater storage flexibility, and the dock will look great on your desktop, too.

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Paul McCartney headlines Apple’s celebration of 50-year anniversary
To mark the milestone, the tech giant pulled out all the stops with a grand finale: a private, career-spanning concert by Sir Paul McCartney… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iOS 27’s new Siri is coming, and sounds very much worth the wait
iOS 27’s biggest changes are reportedly going to focus on overhauling Siri with new features and expanding Apple’s assistant in key ways. And though the wait for an all-new Siri has been long, the coming changes sound very exciting. more…

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Today in Apple history: Apple is founded by Steve Jobs, Woz and Ron Wayne
On April 1, 1976, the Apple Computer Company was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to sell the $666 Apple-1 computer. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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The Steves that built me: A heartfelt thank you on Apple’s 50th birthday
This story is part of 9to5Mac’s series celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary. It’s hard to put into words what Apple means to me. I know it’s odd to hear anyone say that a corporation “means” anything to them. But Apple’s not just a company, it’s an idea cooked up by two crazy ones in a garage 50 years ago. It’s been a driving force in my life since I was conscious enough to know what a computer was. Apple taught me from a very young age to be curious not just about technology, but about everything. more…

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Relive 50 years of Apple innovation in 30 seconds
Macworld As Apple continues the celebration of its 50th anniversary on April 1, it’s sharing a look back at the iconic and innovative products that have been released over the past five decades. On Apple’s homepage, the usual smattering of new products has been replaced with an animation in the style of the six-color “scribble” logo it’s been using at events around the world. The short video uses green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue strokes to visualize its most iconic products, including the original Macintosh, iMac, iPod, AirPods, and iPhone. View this post on Instagram Tim Cook is also celebrating the milestone with a short video post that runs through all five decades of Apple products, starting with the MacBook Neo and ending with the Apple I in 1976. The video is presented in a retro film style and features 50 products, including a few surprises. The eMate is included, but the Newton isn’t. The Quadra 700 makes an appearance, but the QuickTake camera doesn’t. And the Apple Card is on there, but the 12-inch MacBook didn’t make the cut. Macworld is celebrating Apple’s 50th all week long, with a look at Apple’s history of products, the people who made the company so successful, and much more.

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Paul McCartney caps Apple 50th with 5 decades of hits
Sir Paul McCartney headlines Apple 50th, taking the rainbow stage at the heart of Apple Park as fireworks lit up the sky. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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This Macintosh-inspired dock adds a display, ports & expandable storage to any Mac
There are 100s of different docking stations and USB-C hubs for your Mac mini. They all tend to look and do roughly the same thing: they add a variety of additional ports to your Mac. So when I saw this retro Macintosh-inspired docking station that not only adds ports to your Mac mini but also a display and perfectly slides on top of it, I knew I had to check it out. Late last year, I reviewed the Kickstarter version and loved it, but now it’s officially available everywhere, and they added an even better and faster 80Gbps version. Here is what you need to know. more…

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Apple’s upgraded AirPods Max 2 headphones arrive in stores today
Apple’s 50th birthday is also the official release date for one new Apple product: AirPods Max 2. Apple announced the new headphones in March before opening pre-orders and quoting deliveries on April 1. AirPods Max 2 can be purchased at Apple Store locations starting today as well. more…

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Apple drops Studio Display XDR price, but there’s a catch
Apple's new Studio Display XDR is now $400 cheaper, bringing its starting price down to $2,899. But there's a catch. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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It's still Steve Jobs's company and Apple will never change, says Cook
In a new interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about how the company's 50th anniversary is making him remember Steve Jobs, and insists that working with Trump doesn't mean its values are changing.Tim Cook (left) with Steve Jobs — image credit: AppleBefore Apple's birthday celebrations began, and even before Tim Cook wrote an open letter about the anniversary, he spoke to Esquire magazine about planning for the 50th — and thinking back to Steve Jobs."I think about him often — and in the last few months, thinking about the fiftieth anniversary, even more so, honestly," said Cook. "You think about the things he believed in." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple celebrates 50th birthday
Today, April 1, 2026, Apple celebrates its 50th birthday! Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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The best way to celebrate Apple 50 is to make something wonderful
This story is part of 9to5mac’s series celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary. A lot of folks are going to find themselves thinking about a company today. That’s great, I’m one of them, but the best way to celebrate Apple and its contributions to society is to make something wonderful yourself. After all, that was what Steve Jobs believed. more…

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Here’s everything new Apple TV has coming in April
Apple TV has a packed April ahead, with new and returning series, a big movie premiere, a trio of sports offerings, and more. Here’s everything new coming to Apple TV in April. more…

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If this project succeeds, your Time Capsule may not be killed off in macOS 27
A new GitHub project is trying to retrofit Apple's discontinued Time Capsule with modern SMB support. If this works, Time Machine backups to and from the hardware will still work, even after Apple kills it off in macOS 27.Apple AirPort routersApple stopped developing its AirPort lineup in April 2018. Devices like Time Capsule have static firmware that doesn't match evolving SMB protocols or modern security requirements.The company's decision to leave the router market wasn't by chance. Apple decided to concentrate on products and services with more promising long-term growth. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple at 50: Celebrate 50 years of the company that changed everything with 9to5Mac
This story is part of 9to5Mac’s series celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary. Fifty years ago today, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne incorporated Apple Computer. From a garage in Los Altos to the world’s most valuable brand, the company these three men founded has gone on to change the very fabric of our society. We wanted to celebrate this milestone with a series of stories about what makes Apple, Apple. We want to talk about the ethos, the idea that is Apple and the cultural impact it has had beyond the products themselves. more…

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The most important Apple announcement every year, from 1976 to 2026
If you don’t have time for David Pogue’s 600-page epic, maybe you have eight minutes for the single biggest piece of news every year.  (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Users staying on iOS 18 will get a patch for the worst iPhone attack vector we've ever seen
Following the emergence and public code leak of the severe DarkSword iPhone exploit, Apple is preparing to release a patch for users who choose to run iOS 18, so that they can be protected without upgrading to iOS 26.Many users still use iOS 18 instead of upgrading to iOS 26On March 23, an exploit tool dubbed DarkSword was made publicly available on GitHub. While Apple has patched the exploit in iOS 26.3, and older devices stuck on previous versions of the operating systems, Apple is taking an extra step to help those who can update to iOS 26, but choose not to.Rather than stick with the latest versions of those operating systems, Apple will also be "backporting" a patch, a spokesperson told Wired. This refers to the patching of an older operating system version, so that users can get the patch without updating their software in the normal fashion. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Studio Display XDR without tilt-adjustable stand now costs less
While the price with the stand remains the same, Apple has cut the price of the Studio Display XDR with a VESA mount adapter by $400 — and is issuing refunds.Studio Display XDR review: The Apple monitor for creative prosThe Studio Display XDR was launched in March 2026 as a replacement for the Pro Display XDR, and AppleInsider's review called it almost perfect, if your work justified the $3,299 price tag.Now Apple has brought it under the psychologically significant $3,000 mark, with certain configurations now starting at $2,899. The price cut is specifically for models bought with a VESA mount instead of an adjustable stand. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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