![]() With Surface Pro 2, the Docking Station connected via the USB port on the left and the miniDisplayPort port on the right, but the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station is more sophisticated. Then, you lower the Surface Pro 3 into the obviously grooved bottom of the Docking Station and, once positioned, close the wing-like handles by pushing them in towards the device. The mechanism you use to dock Surface Pro 3 works like before in that there are two wing-like handles on the sides that you slide outward to open up the Docking Station to accept the tablet. That is, it is made of plastic and not magnesium, but it feels solid and substantial, and not cheap in any way. If you're familiar with the previous Docking Station, this new model looks, feels, and works very similarly (but is of course designed to work only with Surface Pro 3). (Check out Surface Docking Station Review for more information.) I've got a good handle on how well this accessory works, and of course I have tons of experience with its Surface Pro 2-based predecessor as well. The only thing I can't really do from here is use the Docking Station as I would at home: With a single external display and the Windows screen projection settings set to "external display only." It's just not possible, or ideal, anyway, to do this with the HDTVs in this home. No worries there: While they are fairly small by US television standards, there are indeed two HDTVs here, and each has both HDMI and VGA inputs. ![]() The worst thing that would happen is that the home were staying it wouldn't have a display or two for me to test with. And sure enough, I had plenty of space for the Docking Station. Then it occurred to me: Why not just bring the Docking Station to Europe? After all, we have to check bags on these flights-something I never do while traveling domestically-and I bring a bigger-than-usual bag, which is already packed with some electronics. As you might imagine, the final day before a home swap is a bit of a meltdown-infused disaster. And while I was able to confirm that the multi-monitor functionality worked as I expected, I didn't really get to spend as much time with the Docking Station as I had hoped. So I posted my Surface Pro 3 Docking Station: Unboxing Photos and Surface Pro 3 Docking Station: First Impressions articles immediately and figured I could at least test the device's expansion capabilities-especially multi-monitor support-before heading off on the trip. But it also meant I needed to scramble a bit. This was of course better than the alternative, which was not getting to experience or write about the Docking Station until I returned home in late August. I was happy to get a Docking Station for review, but the timing was tough: The accessory arrived less than two days before my family was set to fly to Barcelona for an over three-week-long home swap. If you were hoping to consolidate everything around Surface Pro 3, you'll want to pick up the Docking Station as well. Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 Docking Station-available for preorder and due in stores in the US and Canada starting next week-is exactly what you were hoping for: An elegant and efficient way to turn the ultimate mobile computer into a desk-bound workstation that can connect to multiple peripherals, including multiple displays.
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