Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Docking Station Reviews

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Docking Station

Instant desktop

Get even more productive with the Docking Station for Surface Pro 3. Transform your ultraportable Surface into a complete desktop workstation in an instant and easily connect to your favorite accessories. Docking Station is ideal for the home or office.

Instant office.
Just click your Surface Pro 3 into the dock to go from tablet to full desktop PC. With an Ethernet port, Mini DisplayPort and five USB ports – three USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports – you can attach your HD monitor, full-size keyboard, printer and more.

All powerful.
Docking Station delivers plenty of power at 48W. You can work on your device, run or charge your favorite accessories, and still have ample power to charge your Surface Pro 3 battery.

Mini DisplayPort Video Output
The mini DisplayPort connection delivers high-definition video resolution of up to 3840 x 2600 DPI.

USB Ports
Docking Station includes five USB ports – three USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports. Transfer large files to an external drive, plug in a USB printer or headset, charge multiple accessories, and more.


Gigabit Ethernet Port
The gigabit Ethernet connection is super fast, with data transfer rates up to 1 billion bits per second.*

48W Power Supply
The 48W power supply quickly recharges your Surface battery while you work, so you can hit the road or the halls in no time with a fully-charged device.
*Capable Ethernet connection required for gigabit speeds.

Supported platforms	Windows 8.1 or later
Dimensions (L/W/H)	330 mm x 97 mm x 112 mm
Weight (lbs.)	650 g
Ports	Power supply input, 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio input/output connection, Mini DisplayPort video output, Security lock slot
Compatibility	Surface Pro 3

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Customer Reviews

It complements the Surface Pro 3 very well. Adds lots of versatility.
By DP21 TOP 500 REVIEWER on August 17, 2014

Pros-

1. Great amount of ports.
2. Allows you to charge the computer.
3. Very good portability.
4. Extend display to other monitors.

Cons-

1. A bit expensive.

I purchased my Microsoft Surface Pro 3 a couple of months ago. The computer cost me an arm and a leg but the experience has been phenomenal. I can't really complain, it was worth every penny. I have been using it as my main computer and tablet around the house and office. Up to this point however, it never felt like a complete desktop replacement. Since the beginning, the fact that there was only one USB port bothered me. It felt restrictive. That all changed last week when I saw that the docking station was released. Having used the computer the computer for a couple of days now I figured I can make a pretty good initial assessment of the dock.

The dock itself is not very big, in fact, it is not much bigger in length than the computer itself. Horizontally, once you have the computer connected and set inside the dock, it only extends about an inch to each side of the computer. It is the same distance as the bezels in landscape mode. Vertically, the dock covers about half of the computer. The only port that it does cover is the charging port. It uses the charging port to charge the computer while on the dock as well as transmit the data between the USB ports on the dock and the computer. It does not block the use of USB 3.0, the volume keys, or the air vent. You have to close the kickstand to set it up on the dock. You cannot adjust the position of the computer when it is on the dock. Is that the end of the world? Not really. The viewing angle is actually quite good when looking at it on a desk.

As far as weight is concerned the official weight is 1.43 pounds. You can use the weight of the Surface Pro 3 without the keyboard as a reference point. The dock feels a bit heavier though. Not that it really matter since most people are going to be using it on a desk anyways. I feel like the weight is pretty good. Light enough that you can carry on a backpack but dense enough where it won't be moving around when you use the keyboard or mouse. The bottom of the dock has four little rubber feet that adds stability and prevents the bottom of the dock from scratching furniture (and vice versa).

On the bottom left side of the dock you have one USB 3.0 port as well as magnetic surface where you can attach your Surface Pro Pen. The magnet is fairly strong and allows for a convenient way to store the pen and keep it handy at all times. On the back we have four more USB ports. Two of them are USB 3.0 ports and two are regular USB 2.0. So, you have a total of 5 USB ports plus the one found on the computer itself. Those USB ports offer great flexibility. Right now I have plugged in at all times a wireless mouse, a wireless Bluetooth keyboard, and a DVD/CD drive. That still leaves me with three USB spots left to plug in the occasional USB flash drive and another one to charge my phone. Love it.

For those of you that like using your Surface Pro 3 with external monitors you will be pleased to know there is an extra mini display port on the back of the dock. Now you can add two displays on addition to the one on your computer. I used the mini display port on the dock to hook up a 27 inch monitor and the one found on the computer to a 42 inch TV. For both of them I used mini display port to HDMI adapter. They cost around $10 on Amazon. I like the idea of extending the image across all three screens and having different windows on each. But I will probably only be keeping the 27 inch monitor, the base of the TV takes too much space on my desk.

On the back of the dock you also have access to a 3.5 mm jack. This allows you to plug external speakers in case you feel like the front facing speakers on the surface are not enough. That jack can also be used to plug in a microphone. Right next to the audio jack you have a gigabit Ethernet port in case you want to plug in your computer directly to your modem as opposed to relying on Wifi. Personally, I do not see myself using it often but it is nice to have in case of an emergency if your router every breaks.

At the far right on the back of the dock is where you plug in the charger. The charger does not plug in like the one on the surface pro. It is not a magnetic. It plugs in more like a standard laptop charger. It is not as easy to unplug like magnetic ones. This charger cannot be used with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. One other thing I thought I should mention is that the brick on the charger does not have a USB slot like the one on the Surface Pro 3.

So, should you go out there and buy the dock? It depends. If you don't have any desktop at home or office and rely on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 as your main computer then the dock is certainly going to come in handy. It complements the SP3 very well and lets you connect a lot more accessories. It looks fairly durable and sturdy. I am not concerned about long term durability. Is it worth the $200 dollars? That depends on whether or not you feel it is enough to replace a $500-700 desktop. So far, I have no regrets. I am happy with my purchase.

I hope this review has helped you decide whether this dock station is right for you. Thank you for having taken the time to read it and have a great day.

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