Surface Pro 3 Docking Station now available for pre-order

Who the fuck actually uses a monitor with Display Port support?
Also, how much does it increase lag? In the past few years people suddenly stopped caring about response times, which is fucking obnoxious.   Seriously, I have yet to get a monitor that isn't VGA. Why the hell are there no DisplayPort to multi-VGA adapters? The port should be capable enough for that.

There are adaptors for that... Check Monoprice (dot) com. Display port is smaller and better suited for portable devices.  Also, with larger display portable adaptors... Check for active vs passive for multi-monitor support.

I was talking about monitors, not devices. My notebook has a mini displayport and I've been searching for a way to attach two displays.

You can get a display port Hub. Turns one display port into 2 or 3 ports depending on which hub you get. 

Take a look at what Keith did with his Surface Pro. Don't know why it wouldn't work for the SP3 too. http://keithelder.net/2013/08/14/surface-pro-running-four-screens-my-new... Check this out on AMZN:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECDM78E/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=hawk-future-20&... Check this Keyboard out on AMZN:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IICMUWS/ref=cm_sw_su_dp?tag=hawk-future-20&... With tho setup, you're good to go.

USB hubs are a rubbish way to drive displays, pushing all the work on your CPU.

It depends on the age of your notebook also, if you have DP 1.2 device, any external adapters are going to trick your computer into displaying one super wide screen and splitting it over two displays. DP 1.3 however is capable of having adapters drive multiple displays.   Don't get a rubbish USB to HDMI or whatever adapter unless all you do is word processing and spreadsheets, even then you're offloading all your GPU's work to the CPU.

VGA is a legacy connection. Every monitor puchased by the company I work for over the past 4 years has had displayport, dvi and vga ports on it. 90% of our PCs connect to the monitor with displayport. When dual monitors are required, the second monitor is connected by DVI. VGA is used on less than 2% of our machines. Our estate is over 4000 machines. I would like to have an explanation of how displayport daisy chaining works, and what is required for this.

I'm not a business. I have a bunch of VGA monitors because I'm a consumer. The monitors I have are all from past pre-built PCs and there is no need to buy another monitor until we finally get high PPI values, which would require me to get a far more powerful computer first to handle the load of such a setup.

Dude. Get out of the past. Display Port is great

"The past" in this case is "not shelling out at least 400€ for monitors".

You can get a monitor with DVI for like $89, breh... little $3 displayport to dvi cable and you're set. Don't make it seem like they have to break the bank on this.

VGA? Dude, DVI and HDMI called, you need to start looking at newer monitors...   As far as daisychaining DP goes, even my 4k TV doesn't have DP, it has HDMI 2.0. So multi monitor support would definitely be great, even if it was just another HDMI port.

An I the only one who thinks the only thing that is "fucking obnoxious" is vb4's post? Good grief.

I wouldn't say that exactly. While there's only one mDP out on the dock, the one on the SP3 itself is still exposed.

yes, it does. there is one display port on the dock and the dock doesnt cover up the one that is on the sp3 itself. therefore, you can plug in 2 extra monitors on it. the dock uses only the power plug for all signals if you look closely.

I agree it should've had a full size hdmi out or a dvi, but it does have a mini DisplayPort and mdp to hdmi cables are only like $5. $200 does seem pretty high though, especially with the keyboard. Now were talking like $1500.

So you have to plug in 2 wires to get multi display with the Surface 3?  If it works. I wouldn't put it past MS to shut off the internal ports when connected to the docking station. Roger

I'm interersted in the dual external monitor support as well.  When looking at the Pro 2, I learned the dock had the same single port restriction.  This lead me to research DisplayPort daisy-chaning but I came up empty handed since it's next to impossible to find a monitor that has the second DisplayPort on it to support the chain to the additional monitor.  If you can indeed use the port on the Surface Pro 3 itself in additon to the dock's port, that would be workable... but I'd want confirmation from someone who has actually tried it.  There may be limitations to what the Intel HD integrated graphics can handle. Either way, it's not enough to stop me from buying the Pro 3.  Having tried one out in person at a nearby Microsoft Store, I can say it's an amazing piece of hardware.  The Dock I am not sure about though...

SurfaceTeam[S] 35 points 24 days ago i7 and i5 will drive 1x4K, or 2x2K (while supporting the Surface Pro 2K display).
i3 will drive 1x4K, or 2xHD (while supporting the Surface Pro 2K display). From the reddit AMA. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/26m9cu/we_are_panos_panay_and_the_...

Price?

Nice

We are trying to buy the SP3 only to get kicked around some more. We also have to buy the type cover, and now this(Well, this we don't really have to but it is a plus). Rather get an Ultrabook instead.

Ultrabooks dont come with a dock either, just an fyi.

An Ultrabook would also need a docking station for the same functionality.

Typical MS, make this available on preorder already when they still haven't managed to release the pro 2 version in the UK for 8 months...... Here's a strategy idea - design something, make it, sell it, then start work on something else, it works for other companies...

THIS. I would only buy a surface pro 3 if the docking station was available. It's a shame what MS did to the s2 buyers who were and are waiting for the dock. Probably will never come. I don't trust Microsoft anymore.

Are you later as Nokia Diddy the same think with the leather case they showed on this site and never produced it.

What country are you in? I had no trouble getting the last dock from pre-order and regular retail in the USA.

I would like to see a demo with multiple screens.   The Dell U2414H monitor has the required Displayport 1.2a out, but I can't find anyone that uses them with a Docking station and Surface(Surface Pro 2 incuded).   

You need to make sure that The first monitor in the "daisy chain" has a Mini Display Port IN and an MDP OUT as well.

I ordered and returned two Dell U2414H monitors for my Surface Pro 2 after realizing Dell has botched the product.  It just won't work via displayport.  You can read multiple reports on Dell's forum, and several other forums about this problem.  Avoid the Dell U2414H monitor - it doesn't not work with Daisy Chaining. 

Did you find monitors that did work with Daisy Chaining?

That is just wrong.. I have a surface pro 2 and two dell u2414h. It works like a charm.. Did u enable DisplayPort 1.2 on the Monitor Menu?

We have also been trying to use the 2414h at work with the sp2 We have followed all recommendations from Dell, but have been unable to get them to work reliably daisy chained. It ultimately caused us to scrap a SP2 rollout. Too unreliable. Shame, they are really nice monitors otherwise.

Why didn't you call Microsoft direct or go to a Microsoft store and have the techs their try using monitors they stock?

It does work. Dells product is imperfect, yes, and it will need a firmware update to fix it. But the problem is only a powersave issue and is always immediately resolved by removing the power source. I keep mine on a surge protector and I simply toggle the power to the displays to wake them up when needed.

Just FYI You don't need to dasiy chain Display Port. You can use a Display port hub to use mutliple monitors from one display port. They are around $100 which is kind of pricey but you can by cheaper monitors that don't have the passthrough feature. 

If you have the dock you will have TWO displayport ports:  one on the SP3 and one on the dock.
 

I use them with the Surface Pro 2. I have three docks in three places, each with 2 U2414H displays. We have two Pro 2 devices. We move between desks regularly. The displays work beautifully, minus one flaw related to extended power save on the Dells that requires you to unplug them from power to wake them up sometimes.

Since right now I still have my desktop working real well, I think I will pass on that. So excited for my surface though :DD

I want to know if this dock will be support the follow up iteration of Surface Pro next year.  I don't want to have to buy a new dock everytime.  I'll give the past generation a pass since they are now utilizing the power port for both power and io.  But they can't keep doing that to each generation.  Even if the next iteration is thinner it should only require a adapter for the this generation dock.

I think next year is probably a safe bet, MS used the same chassis for first and second generation models, and I would expect they will do the same for SP3, makes it easier for them to get economies of scale as they get better at manufacturing a design. Apple does same thing, tends to reuse same hardware shell for 2 generations. My guess would be that SP4 will be substantially the same as SP3 externally at least

There is a security lock for the dock but what about the computer itself?

Exactly what I was thinking

Its called your hands. The point of a tablet is mobility. If you like leaving your computers lying around, buy a laptop.

I think mados123's point was why have a security lock on the dock at all, if you lock it with the tablet in it someone will just undock and leave with the Surface. If the Surface isn't there, don't think a lot of people would try to steal a docking station. So either have a security lock on both, or just the surface, or neither. Having one on just the dock doesn't make that much sense.

When will it be available in Germany???

Nonsensical first sentence and "measuers". Sigh.

So no thunderbolt?

Ordered.

I guess for a business user $200 isn't too bad, but for a home user I think its way too expensive for what it's doing.

Does the dock come with its own AC adapter? The dock isn't cheap, but if I were to be buying the new gigabit Ethernet adapter and a spare AC adapter anyway, the price difference for the dock might be worth it....

The dock for the Surface Pro 2 came with its own AC adapter.  Looking at the pictures of this one i would bet it does. 

My question as well.

I believe that it does

To everyone who thinks the $200 is too expensive for the dock; Have you considered that the price of a 3rd party dock, like Anker or Kensington, plus the cost of another power adapter for your Surface, actually makes Microsoft's solution cheaper? This is the same reaction that everyone on this forum had to the last dock, and I almost fell for the broad public opinion on the issue and bought a USB dock solution. Once I realized that the 3rd party dock wasn't going to charge my Surface, and that I was certainly going to need to charge it while it was on the dock, it became pretty easy to see the value of the Microsoft solution.

I've spent my life using logic to explain stuff to people. They just look at me with a dumb face until I stop talking. Then they throw stones at me.

Hahaha, some are just too set in their ways.

Exactly!  It's $80 for a power adapter, and another $30 at least for a gigabit ethernet adapter.  Or you can buy the dock and get both, as well as the extra DisplayPort adapter and all the USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. Essentially you're paying $90 for the dock, and getting one that doesn't require the use of the SP3s USB 3.0 port. It's likely a bit CHEAPER than buying a 3rd party dock and charger.

Ah! So it's the dumb faced ones I need the look out for!

Hopefully Samsung will realise it's a docking station and not a battery dock this time....

So am I the absolute last one to notice that not only is the display port on the SP3 still exposed in this dock, but the USB port is as well?  So that means that the power connector is also handling all the data as well for everything from USB to ethernet to monitor.  Cool....

That's what it seems like to me too, though after a couple weeks of looking I can't really find specific confirmation (even asked the local MS Store guys and they had no idea).  I guess that's what the Surface team meant (on Reddit) when they posted, "When you buy your Surface Pro3, do me a favor, and take a close look at the 'power connector.'

If money wouldnt b a matter hen would surely ordered it on very first day!!!! Superb it is