Surface Pro 3 Docking Station – The Next Leap in Productivity
Surface is all about productivity, and next to the Surface Pro 3 device itself, nothing shouts productivity as loudly as clicking into the new Docking Station. It instantly turns your Surface Pro 3 into a full-blown desktop PC, giving you easy access to your external monitors, keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers, and more.
Based on the resoundingly positive feedback we got from our fans on the original Docking Station, we kept the same design so people can dock and undock their Surface Pro with ease. We also made a handful of improvements. For example, there are now more USB ports on the new docking station, and more of them support USB 3.0. As an added bonus, the USB 3.0 port on the Surface Pro 3 is still available for use when it is docked, so in reality you’ll have a total of 6 available USB ports when your Surface is docked. The key differences between the original dock and the new one are summarized in the table below.
Using an external monitor (or several external monitors) when you’re at your desk really boosts your productivity. For example, you may be editing a document on one monitor, while referencing material on another. Or maybe your email is open on one screen, and you’re watching a video conference on the second screen. Needless to say, increased screen real estate gives you the space to do more.
One of the questions we get asked most often about the new Surface Pro 3 Docking Station is whether it will support multiple monitors. The answer is an emphatic “yes”. In fact, with the new Surface Pro 3 Docking Station, you’ll be able to run up to 3 screens (the Surface itself, and 2 external monitors) regardless of whether you have the latest daisy-chain capable DisplayPort monitors, HDMI inputs, or older analog screens (e.g. VGA or DVI). The table below provides two easy ways to configure a multi-monitor setup with your existing monitors.
As you may know, there are numerous ways to configure a multi-monitor set-up. One of the most common is using a docking solution with DisplayLinkÒ technology which runs video over your USB 3.0 port. If you already own one, it will work with your Surface Pro 3, just like any other PC.
It’s important to know that there are pros and cons to different set-ups such as cost, video quality, stability, aesthetics, etc. The solutions in the table above are two quick and easy ways to connect a multi-monitor set-up with your existing monitors with minimal to no additional cost. However, in the near future, we will do a more in-depth blog post specifically on multi-monitor set-up options.
Back to the original point… The Surface Pro 3 Docking Station is a simple and elegant way to increase the utility of your Surface Pro 3—the tablet that can replace your laptop. With the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station, it’s also the tablet that can become your desktop. To learn more about the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station, or to pre-order yours, visit www.microsoft.com/surface/accessories.
Suneel Goud – Senior Product Manager – Microsoft Surface