What's new

Docking station idea

Stephan

Member
Hi all,

I was wondering, is it possible that Microsoft will create, one day, a docking station for the Surface pro that contains more RAM, a better graphic card..etc .
Is it physically possible ?
If yes, why don't they do it ?
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Hi all,

I was wondering, is it possible that Microsoft will create, one day, a docking station for the Surface pro that contains more RAM, a better graphic card..etc .
Is it physically possible ?
If yes, why don't they do it ?
Not physically possible to add RAM to a Docking Station, external GPU's haven't really been successful, just from an engineering perspective this type of Docking Station could rival the cost of a dedicated desktop.
 
OP
S

Stephan

Member
Sounds like you are describing a desktop.

Not really. Imagine : You will have one device that "rule them all" :) . You have your surface pro 3 (or 4), with you can do lot of things, but when you want to do more (like play to GTA V or the witcher 3), you plug it in your docking station and it gives it more power.

I think it'd be cool.

But I think it's just a dream...
 

Compusmurf

Active Member
Doable? Not so much with current gen devices. They would really need a better interface connection to mate with. Like, 64bit one. The limited connections won't cut it. I would rather see a dual video card device with nvidia/Intel like my wife's laptop and screw cover ports for expanding memory and ssd.
 

Cyb3rDud3

Member
Not physically possible to add RAM to a Docking Station, external GPU's haven't really been successful, just from an engineering perspective this type of Docking Station could rival the cost of a dedicated desktop.

I disagree, of course it is possible to add RAM to a Docking Station...And external GPU exist and are quite popular as well in certain sectors.

What is naturally a limiting factor is that the bus and the connection to the CPU on the current Surface Pro is not good enough to do that. So in that context I agree, but in principle it is possible if the architecture changes of the device.

I would actually really like that. I don't want to have a normal desktop computer and replicate my applications and settings. But I can do with more power when back at base...
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
I disagree, of course it is possible to add RAM to a Docking Station...And external GPU exist and are quite popular as well in certain sectors.

What is naturally a limiting factor is that the bus and the connection to the CPU on the current Surface Pro is not good enough to do that. So in that context I agree, but in principle it is possible if the architecture changes of the device.

I would actually really like that. I don't want to have a normal desktop computer and replicate my applications and settings. But I can do with more power when back at base...
The question was about the current generation..... also you would need a native Bus to the docking station and the system would need to support hot swappable RAM....
 

hughlle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Surely it would be easier just to have the ram already on the surface and an external gpu in the dock.

Either way though, the way i see it is that if you need that much more power when docked, might as just well have a desktop machine that will really do the work you need that power for. I just see it as having bought the wrong tool for what you need.
 

Cyb3rDud3

Member
I wouldn't want two separate devices as simple as that.

The question was about the current generation..... also you would need a native Bus to the docking station and the system would need to support hot swappable RAM....

Considering that the OP actually even suggested that Microsoft one day could do something like this, I respectfully disagree again. I don't see how the OP constrained it to the current model.
 
OP
S

Stephan

Member
Surely it would be easier just to have the ram already on the surface and an external gpu in the dock.

Either way though, the way i see it is that if you need that much more power when docked, might as just well have a desktop machine that will really do the work you need that power for. I just see it as having bought the wrong tool for what you need.

I don't think the future is about multiple devices, but one device that can do everything. Microsoft shows, apparently, the path with Windows 10 Continum.
A smartphone can, now, become a PC when docked.

I think that is the future. So, the docking station that gives more power to your device could be too... (in my opinion).
 
Top