Other World Computing today announced the OWC DEC, an attachment designed to snap onto the bottom of a 2016 MacBook Pro to add additional functionality to the machine.

The OWC DEC adds 4TB of storage, an SD Card Slot, USB Type-A ports for using standard USB devices, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. According to OWC, additional features will be introduced at a later date.

owcdecfrontview
OWC has crafted the DEC from aircraft-grade aluminum that's designed to match with the finish of the MacBook Pro. It attaches flush to the bottom of the MacBook Pro, making it thicker, but doing away with the need for a separate dock. OWC says the DEC when attached to the 2016 MacBook Pro will be "as thin as a 2012 MacBook Pro," which measured in at 0.95 inches. The pictures of the OWC DEC appear to be early renderings and do not depict all of the listed ports.

owcdecsideview

"We've been developing this concept for over three years and feel now is the perfect time for this ground-breaking product," said O'Connor. "Storage space is always at a premium on a laptop and without the potential to upgrade the factory drive, the OWC DEC brings that option back in addition to cleanly supporting the gear we all rely on."

OWC plans to begin shipping the DEC out to customers in the spring of 2017. Pricing has not yet been announced.

Top Rated Comments

DVNIEL Avatar
117 months ago
At long last.... The PowerBook G5 of our dreams has arrived.

Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Manzzle Avatar
117 months ago
It really is shameful that it has come to this!
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ColdShadow Avatar
117 months ago
I just don't get it why Apple is so ignorant and dismissive of it's customers rightful needs and desires?
there are so many awkward "solutions" like this thing yet Apple doesn't care and keep insisting on a wrong concept.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fisherman188 Avatar
117 months ago
So they just add back the thickness that Apple took away and praises...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dtb200 Avatar
117 months ago
HOW does it 'attach'?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
117 months ago
For some reason, Apple is obssessed with making these devices tinfoil-thin. For users who buy the MB Air and non-pro models, granted. But PRO users are concerned about PRO features such as PRO ports, NOT whether their laptops are so thin and light they feel like they'll break in your backpack! Someone please slap some sense into Jonny!!
Odd how you consider a 'Pro' port to be USB-A 3.0 or an SD card reader.

Yet Apple give you Thunderbolt 3/USB-C capable of 40Gb/s throughput each, capable of transforming into any interface you need, or run your entire workstation & charge the laptop at the same time from just one port, and all people can think of is how they need a dongle to charge their phone.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...