Except it isn't. The real problem is that the RJ-45 connector is huge and antiquated, so it can't fit on the MBA form factor. I work in a lot of places where GE makes a lot more sense (inside a datacenter, in places which prohibit wireless, or places where you want to be connected to multiple different networks). I guarantee the $99 (?) thunderbolt to gig-e dongle gets left on a cable somewhere several times, which will suck, same as the mbp/tb to DVI things.

Kind of silly given that the new Macbook Pro Air HD Super 15 has a better display than anything else I own, so I'm not going to necessarily want to put a 1920x1200 24" or even 2560x1600 30" in the center of my desk with it -- I'd treat the laptop display as primary, on a stand, with a keyboard. But Apple doesn't make a docking solution, and the Belkin/Matrox docks have been vaporware for over a year.

Their docking solution is their thunderbolt display. When I go home, I plug in 2 cables (thunderbolt & power) and I've got everything connected.

Their thunderbolt ethernet adapter is $30: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD463ZM/A

TB display is 1) glossy, meh 2) only has the Apple connectors, so it's not usable by non-Apple equipment at all. Even when you use exclusively Apple laptops, it's a pain to not be able to plug servers/etc. into them temporarily. It's also too big to carry -- one use case for this kind of thing is to set up somewhere for a couple days (hotel room, consultant at a desk, etc.), where bringing a laptop and small dock is reasonable, but a 27" display, not as much. There's also the somewhat-longer replacement cycle on monitors; I'm fine with Dell 3011s or even 3008s from...2008, but all my laptops are 2011+.

Even when setting up hotdesks for guests, it's unclear if you could put just a TB display in them -- enough people will have non-TB macs, or non-macs, to require something else. Maybe you could have some percentage TB display, but a good third-party dock + a display which can take multiple inputs (DVI, HDMI, MDP via adapter, TB to adapter to monitor) seems like a better choice. Uglier, yes.

For personal/home use in a dark room with only 2011+ macs, and if you have a spare 15" for other temporary use, then sure, it's a good option.

$30 for the ThunderBolt GigE adapter. It's possible people will lose them but you do have to physically disconnect the RJ45 from it before you can leave (unless you have a very long cable) so it's not a big problem really. Easier to lose your untethered car keys, wallet, etc.

Yeah, at $30 I'm not as upset. I still predict they'll be annoying, but if you bring your own cat5e cable too (vs. plugging into an existing cable), it's less likely it will be left behind. (I'll probably order one for my 2011 MBA anyway).

Keys/wallet/etc. remain in pockets when not in use, though -- so they're a LOT less likely to be abandoned than something which is small, connected to another long cable, etc.