The Neo C comes from Minix, a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of media hubs and various computer accessories. It’s a chunky yet compact hub made of sturdy metal that lets your MacBook’s USB-C port handle just about anything you’d want for regular computer use: two regular USB-A 3.0 ports that carry power, slots for both SD and microSD cards, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, your choice of VGA or HDMI monitor output — the latter up to 4K, though the highest resolution I could test was 2560 x 1080 21:9 — and, critically, another USB-C port so you can continue to charge your computer as you use all these features.

"The power delivery protocol is comprised of exceptionally complicated logic."

That last point is one that’s tripped up other manufacturers; there have been lots of MacBook USB Type-C hubs, but very few have supported pass-through charging. Nonda’s Hub+ was a particularly notable Kickstarter failure, with the creators ultimately winding down the project despite raising $883,460 from over 8,000 backers. Minix has managed to get the charging feature working, however, along with the widest array of ports we’ve seen. "The power delivery protocol is comprised of exceptionally complicated logic," says Minix’s John Scutt. "Our software engineers have spent months testing and fine-tuning the firmware to ensure that the end result is a product that exceeds expectations and guarantees seamless integration with Apple’s hardware."

So, to give you an idea of how this can work in practice, this is my current setup: I have a monitor plugged into the Neo C along with a USB-A cable that enables the monitor’s own USB ports. An external hard drive and Lightning dock are plugged into the monitor, and the MacBook’s USB-C charger is plugged into the Neo C. The upshot is that by plugging in a single cable to my MacBook, I get power, a second display, a hard drive, an iPhone charger and connection, Ethernet connectivity, SD card slots, and extra USB ports. When I want to use the MacBook on the go, I just turn off the hard drive and unplug the cable; when I return to my desk, I only have to plug in one thing to get an instant workstation. Once you’re set up like this, the new MacBook is actually easier to dock than any other laptop I’ve used — even with my old MacBook Pro and its multiple ports, I’d have to plug in the power, the monitor, and the monitor’s USB connection separately.