Anyone replaced their home computer with the Surface Pro?

[jeffskent]

Not to rain on your parade, but, two or three guys and a hand truck and the computer would be gone in 5 minutes or less. True, only if you had Warren Buffet type of info on it however, but still... You could always put your tablet in a safe when you weren't home, but they could take the whole safe as well.

 

[jeffskent]

I'm not in the business market, being retired, but my Pro is the only computer I use because I can take it anywhere, and do. I have three laptops and a desktop that I no longer need or use, sad to say. The Pro sits on a table and attaches and disconnects easily via three cables. One power cable, one to the 27" monitor and one Targus 2.0 dongle that connects the wireless mouse and keyboard to a powered Logitech speaker which also connects the printer, scanner, and 6 TB of HDD storage. I have a hdmi adaptor and a vga adaptor for projectors on some monitors. The Pro also powers two monitors at 3840X1080 via a $50 Zotac MiniDisplay Port splitter adaptor. I'm waiting for the Blue upgrade release, probably in June, to be able to display two full screen Metro style apps or a full screen Metro style app on one monitor and the regular desktop on the other. We'll see.

 

[elee532]

Have you looked at the Ultrabook space? I only know of two that have Old School Docking Ports (one from HP and one from Lenovo). The rest use the USB Docking and many require dongles for Ethernet and Video Out. So if traditional Docking Stations are your requirement you'll need to move to mainstream business laptops or move down to HP Atom Elitepad 900. Also I believe the Samsung ATIV 700T has a dock (used without the keyboard dock) coming available some time this quarter.

For some reason, the new 700T dock lacks video out. Strangely, the prior Windows 7 version of the 700T dock had video out. A step backwards?

 

[jlangner]

I love my Surface, but for gaming, i.e. wacraft, etc, it doesn't cut it.

 

[jnjroach]

For some reason, the new 700T dock lacks video out. Strangely, the prior Windows 7 version of the 700T dock had video out. A step backwards?

Not sure why they decided to remove the HDMI Out on the updated version....For around $40 additional dollars you could attach USB Video Out off the USB Port...

 

[elee532]

Not sure why they decided to remove the HDMI Out on the updated version....For around $40 additional dollars you could attach USB Video Out off the USB Port...

Had not thought of that option. Thanks. I wish someplace carried this in the store so I could check it out. Maybe I'll hold out for a few more months... see what the Lenovo Helix looks like... or maybe Microsoft will have solved this by then.

 

[jnjroach]

Had not thought of that option. Thanks. I wish someplace carried this in the store so I could check it out. Maybe I'll hold out for a few more months... see what the Lenovo Helix looks like... or maybe Microsoft will have solved this by then.

If you have a Fry's near by they carry them in stock, usually for around $40....

 

[HD_Dude]

It could be - I want it to be - but until there is a real docking solution that makes it easy to just grab and go, it can't be my primary computer. Frankly, thinking about returning my Pro because of this. Amazing to me that this wasn't a priority for MS. This would seem to have been such a major selling point in the business market.

Have you looked at this dock?

Amazon.com: Plugable UD-3000 USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station for Windows 8, 7, XP (DVI, VGA, or HDMI to 2048x1152, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 4A AC Power Adapter): Computers & Accessories

If you used it - you would have to plug/unplug only power and USB.

I have one on my big Dell XPS, it's awesome. Learned about it on the Windows Supersite, where the blogger uses it on a Surface Pro.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/going-pro-day-one-surface-pro

I can't imagine a better dock. Two connections, you're done. Grab and go.

 

[Deryl McCarty]

I don't game except Spell It, so no problem using my Pro to do everything my core I7 did just last month. I mean everything. I have a 22" LED hooked into the mini-DP, 5 peripherals into the USB and the MicroSD port full of a 64gb SDXC. Strangely enough the only problems to date (after latest firmware update) were finding a mini DP cable with vga, hdmi and dvi. Had to get one each. Also had trouble finding a multi port USB 3.0 connector at local stores and Best Buys. USB 2 no problem...but amazon had a 7 port which hit the spot. Now mouse and big ergo kb connected with high speed external 3.0 hdd and a Blue Ray writer for additional backup. (Actually I use it as a br movie player but that may not exactly be what I said to my wife. ) As it turns out the Sky Drive and Office 365 apps are proving to be faster and more reliable b/u options than both the HDD and BR drives - so what am supposed to do, not use the BR at all?

Bottom line: my Surface Pro 128 is my only computer and as the McDonald's ad says, "I'm lovin' it"... and btw, am visiting 90 yo mom in Hawaii writing this under the open (warm) skies far from my home near Seattle.

 

[Profoxcg]

um.. I am still debating...
But I got a new monitor with USB 3.0 Asus PA248Q

 

[elee532]

Have you looked at this dock?

Amazon.com: Plugable UD-3000 USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station for Windows 8, 7, XP (DVI, VGA, or HDMI to 2048x1152, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 4A AC Power Adapter): Computers & Accessories

If you used it - you would have to plug/unplug only power and USB.

I have one on my big Dell XPS, it's awesome. Learned about it on the Windows Supersite, where the blogger uses it on a Surface Pro.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-8/going-pro-day-one-surface-pro

I can't imagine a better dock. Two connections, you're done. Grab and go.

Thanks HD_Dude. I may give it a try. However, fussing with 2 cables - one of which is the Surface's incredibly cumbersome power supply connector - is not my idea of grab and go. . I know MS can do better.

 

[pallentx]

I have a Surface RT, not Pro, but I have almost completely replaced the desktop with it - maybe 90%. The few things I go to the desktop for are things I would do the same if I had a Surface Pro. I had almost completely gotten out of playing PC games, but Hawken came along causing me to occasionally fire up the desktop to play. I probably would never install SQL Server (Im a dba) on a Surface Pro either considering the limited amount of storage. The other thing my desktop does is act as a home server. It has the main shared versions of all my photos, music, videos, TV recordings, documents etc. It is backed up regularly and relatively secured. Although I'm rarely on it, it supports the Surface and other laptops, XBOX, etc with content. I also rarely remote into the desktop run software I don't have on the Surface RT.