[massysett]

I'm surprised you issue them desktops; why not a laptop with a docking station?

[chmars]

There's no such thing as a docking stations for MacBooks.

(There are USB docks but they cannot really compete with real docks as they are available for PC notebooks. And Apple does not sell an external Retina screen either.)

[jsjohnst]

I disagree. There are a number of options here, but my personal favorite is the Belkin TB2 dock. Plug in two cables (power/TB) and I have three external screens, wired keyboard, multiple USB3 plugs, gigabit Ethernet, and a decent audio line out.

If you prefer something exactly like a dock where no cables are involved being plugged in manually, there are several solutions available. Henge Docks, Landing Zone, and BookEndz are some examples.

[mturmon]

A Thunderbolt dock is very functional for a laptop. You can hang a large display, keyboard, backup storage, and wired ethernet off the dock and just plug in two cables -- Thunderbolt and power. Various OS niceties make it work well.

[jsjohnst]

Also, Apple may not sell them, but it's definitely possible to connect a 4K external display that's HDPI (aka Retina, minus marking speak).

[jsjohnst]

"marketing" speak.