mLogic has announced that it is to begin shipping its mLink PCIe to Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis in June, providing a means for laptop and small form factor users to access hardware previously restricted to desktop systems.
As the name suggests, the mLink Chassis is an external casing which provides a PCI Express slot and a pair of Thunderbolt ports to turn any PCI Express card into an external device. The chassis support a single card apiece, but the paired ports mean they can be daisy-chained for up to six cards into a single system.
There are, unfortunately, restrictions: while mLogic claims that graphics cards are supported, the chassis only has room for half-length cards. As a result, the most powerful hardware - and, by extension, the hardware laptop users are most likely to want to add in to their systems - simply won't fit into the device.
Despite that, mLogic is keen to point out the potential of its creation: PCI Express-based HD video capture cards, RAID controllers, solid-state drives, 10GbE network and fibre-channel host bus adapters are all available in half-length formats, opening up an impressive world of peripheral joy for previously bereft laptop users.
Sadly, such functionality comes at a not-inconsiderable price. While mLogic has yet to confirm UK availability and pricing, the company has given a US recommended retail price of a whopping $399.99 (around £253 excluding taxes.)
That eye-raising price tag is perhaps unsurprising when you learn of mLogic's target market: video editing professionals with high-end MacBook Pro laptops who need high-speed access to storage, networking or video capture devices. For the rest of the world, however, mLogic's creation is likely to remain out of reach for quite some time.
As the name suggests, the mLink Chassis is an external casing which provides a PCI Express slot and a pair of Thunderbolt ports to turn any PCI Express card into an external device. The chassis support a single card apiece, but the paired ports mean they can be daisy-chained for up to six cards into a single system.
There are, unfortunately, restrictions: while mLogic claims that graphics cards are supported, the chassis only has room for half-length cards. As a result, the most powerful hardware - and, by extension, the hardware laptop users are most likely to want to add in to their systems - simply won't fit into the device.
Despite that, mLogic is keen to point out the potential of its creation: PCI Express-based HD video capture cards, RAID controllers, solid-state drives, 10GbE network and fibre-channel host bus adapters are all available in half-length formats, opening up an impressive world of peripheral joy for previously bereft laptop users.
Sadly, such functionality comes at a not-inconsiderable price. While mLogic has yet to confirm UK availability and pricing, the company has given a US recommended retail price of a whopping $399.99 (around £253 excluding taxes.)
That eye-raising price tag is perhaps unsurprising when you learn of mLogic's target market: video editing professionals with high-end MacBook Pro laptops who need high-speed access to storage, networking or video capture devices. For the rest of the world, however, mLogic's creation is likely to remain out of reach for quite some time.
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