Microsoft Docking Station for Surface 3 (not compatible with Surface Pro 3) SC EN/XD/ES Hdwr (GJ3-00001)

WOW! I did not really believe this until I received the item yesterday. If you have Surface 3, then this is a must. I have been using Surface 3 (Mon-Fri) at work for last 3 years. I also have more powerful laptop that I use at home as a desktop, but I needed something that was portable and thin without the expense. And Surface 3 fits the bill. But sometimes, I also use Surface 3 as a desktop at home, thus need for its docking station. But when it came out, I couldn't justify purchasing it - too expensive ($200.00). But after 3 years, I stumbled on this at Amazon, and after reading the reviews, I bought it for $14.99! What a steal! Cheaper than the charger! Since there are great reviews already, let me just add a couple of more points:1. It came NEW in original MS box. I was expecting a refurbished one, but I was greatly surprised to see that the item was NEW.2. This is GENUINE Microsoft docking station for Surface 3. This is not a third party docking station. This is REAL Microsoft product for your Surface 3. It fits perfectly and nicely!3. It WORKS. All the ports worked perfectly without any issues. And yes, it does charge your Surface 3 faster than the charger via micro USB type B port.TIP: If your audio doesn't work, after docking it, you need to either (1) restart your Surface 3 after docking or (2) Go to audio setting and change the audio output.For this price point, and if you own Surface 3, then go get it! You will not be disappointed. Highly, highly recommended!

I've owned my Surface 3 since it came out, so as of right now, May of 2023, it's been close to, what, eight years? For the past five or so it's been very particular with how it charges. Pretty much exclusively has to be closed, laying flat on a table, with the cable *juuuust* right, and I *might* get a full charge before someone sets off a .0000000000000001 on the Richter scale by walking past, just enough for the inner circuits to stop connecting. Been a real pain, and I've been looking for a solution for years.This solution works a treat! Instead of charging via the usual micro USB slot towards the bottom, it plugs into the USB port towards the top and feeds it power that way, and clamps it into place so you don't have to worry about it getting bumped around. It also adds a handful of new features you would otherwise not have been able to do before with your tablet: you can have it hooked up to hardline internet via the ethernet cable port in the back, you can have a dedicated monitor hooked up to it, and you can have up to four USB devices and drives connected at any time. It also has a handy magnetic plate on the side for you to store your Surface Pen when not in use.The only real downside is that this isn't really small enough to be easily portable. I wish I could just toss this in a small bag, but it's chunky enough that I might as well take a full-size laptop. It also blocks your Micro SD slot, so if you need to swap out a card, you have to open up the clamps, take your tablet out, and flip out the kickstand. I mean, it isn't the end of the world, and that all is pretty easy, but compare that to what I had been able to do before by just reaching back, feeling with my fingertip, and popping it out, all while still using it normally. Not a huge gripe. Just something to be aware of. You could also easily just have a dedicated Micro SD reader slotted into one of your four USB ports. Oh, and you can't adjust the angle it's sitting at. It's locked in at what I'd eyeball as 65° (or 25° from vertical, depending on which direction you're going).Otherwise, you can still use your keyboard and mouse like you normally would. For a desktop work-station, especially one bringing life into an old tablet weaker beings would throw away because of planned obsolescence, you can't go wrong here!

TL;DR: A must have for any Surface 3 user.PROS: This is the 3rd essential accessory every Surface owner should have (Especially if you have the 3; NOT Pro 3/4, etc.). The first one being the separate keyboard cover, and the second being the Surface Pen. While the Surface 3, seems a good deal, the truth is it is very lightweight in power, accessories, and performance. Adding the keyboard and pen could put you ~$200 on top of the base price. On top of that, the fact it charges through micro usb (extremely slow), and has only ONE usb port, limits its usability greatly.By adding this docking station, you effectively increase the charging speed by using a 48 watt power supply, adding 4 USB ports (including 2 USB 3.0 especially to handle up to two SSDs simultaneously), a headphone port, an ethernet port, and a mini display port.The construction is sturdy and with a nice, soft satin finish. There is a white light at the top that turns on when the Surface is properly connected. You can also use it with the Keyboard Cover on, and the left side of the base has a magnet to hold the Surface Pen. It is compact, and as of now at an absurdly low price here in Amazon.CONS: Not many bad things to say about this product, honestly. I would've preferred they added a dedicated HDMI port to the dock station (there's quite a bit of unused space between the power port and the rest) so that you could connect it directly to a monitor instead of relying on an adapter connected to the mini display port.P.S., if, like me, you were curious how it is you put the Surface in without breaking the USB port protruding into the base, the docking station actually has hinges on both sides that you pull and allow you to slide the Surface in. You then push both sides, the USB connects to the Surface's large USB port and, voilá!