SPro Accessories

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A "premium" would be $70, at most. I'm holding a type cover 2 in my hand right now, and I do not buy for a moment that there is $130 of engineering in this thing. It's nice for sure, but it's not worth $130. Of the entire $2k purchase I made, this is the only part I have buyer remorse over. The only thing that lets it command that premium is the proprietary connector. Fiat value is not real value.

 

[oion]

A "premium" would be $70, at most. I'm holding a type cover 2 in my hand right now, and I do not buy for a moment that there is $130 of engineering in this thing. It's nice for sure, but it's not worth $130. Of the entire $2k purchase I made, this is the only part I have buyer remorse over. The only thing that lets it command that premium is the proprietary connector. Fiat value is not real value.

Sure. Then let the market decide. As soon as buyers of Surface stop buying the matched keyboards due to price, you might have something there.

 

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Just because they sell a bunch doesn't mean they aren't price gouging.

 

[oion]

Just because they sell a bunch doesn't mean they aren't price gouging.

And Apple does the exact same thing. So what was your point again? Now we're talking about free market economics.

 

[Nuspieds]

I loved the Arc Touch mouse when I had my laptop and, yes, the fact that it was so flat and turned off when flat made me appreciate it even more.

I was disappointed not to see one available for the SP1, so I eventually bought the Wedge...well, that was "OK" for a bit, but then I switched to the Apple Magic Mouse. That took a bit of a hacking, but I really did like it--even more so than the Arc. However, that thing (Magic Mouse) goes through batteries like there's no tomorrow. I eventually got the Mobee rechargeable battery, but I did encounter a lot of dropped connections between my Magic Mouse and the SP1. I don't know if that was due to the SP1, the Magic Mouse's "hacked" installation on Windows, or both, but with that nuisance, I still preferred it over anything else I had tried.

Then I stumbled on a post where someone recommended the Logitech Ultrathin Touch mouse...I tried one and I have since been sold! By far--by very far--the best Bluetooth mouse I have used. I bought it while I still had the SP1 and I must say that I rarely--and I mean rarely--lost Bluetooth connection with it.

I am not a fan of the Trackpad, so I need a mouse--and I need to always have it working. As such, just as I loved switching to the Mobee rechargeable batteries for my Magic Mouse, I especially love the fact that the Logitech mouse is directly rechargeable via USB. Because I am so dependent on the mouse, I don't want to have to deal with batteries and such is the case even with the Arch Touch, much as I had liked it.

As for the backlit keyboard...yes, definitely a must-have! Unfortunately for me, I bought it and can't use it when I most need it! I use Acronis True Image and should I need to recover my system, when I boot with their Rescue Media, it does not recognize the Type Cover 2. This is a known issue with Acronis and the hack/workaround has been to just plug in a USB keyboard or mouse or even the transceiver. That still works with the Type Cover 1, but not so--at least for me--with the Type Cover 2. I travel often, so it is more important for me to be able to restore my SP2 in the event of an emergency, so I will be sticking with the Type Cover 1 for the time being.

Regarding the docking station, that was also a definite must-have for me. I put my email address on the notification list, but never got that email that said that it was released. I was hoping to have it for my setup with the SP2 this weekend, but by the time I got to the MS website, the fastest shipping method would have it arrive on Monday, which would be too late, as I would be on the road again. I checked the local stores, but none had any inventory, both Friday and Saturday. When I checked the MS online store, it said it was sold out, but Best Buy had it (shipping only), so I ordered form them. I 'm expecting to pick it up on Friday when I return from my trip. Can't wait!

 

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And Apple does the exact same thing. So what was your point again? Now we're talking about free market economics.

Saying "apple does it" is not a defense against criticism. My point is I feel like I paid too much for the keyboard. If it came with the adaptor or had Bluetooth built in I would feel differently.

 

[oion]

Saying "apple does it" is not a defense against criticism.

Nope, but Apple's accessories are doing quite well in producing revenue for them. And they definitely are overpriced. See my point? The primary time prices will fall in a free market is supply and demand. As long as the people who do buy Surfaces also buy the accessories, it makes sense to keep the prices there.

 

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I'm only just now noticing that the docking station's Ethernet port is only 10/100 and does not support Gigabit Ethernet. What's up with that?! :mad2:

At home, I'm all wired for Gigabit Ethernet, so using the docking station's Ethernet port would be a step down for me and I certainly am not going to do that. That's very disappointing.

 

[oion]

I'm only just now noticing that the docking station's Ethernet port is only 10/100 and does not support Gigabit Ethernet. What's up with that?! :mad2:

At home, I'm all wired for Gigabit Ethernet, so using the docking station's Ethernet port would be a step down for me and I certainly am not going to do that. That's very disappointing.

Maybe someone can test it. Microsoft's own official Surface websites have had incorrect tech specs before (e.g. MicroSDXC typo, the fools).

 

[Nuspieds]

Maybe someone can test it. Microsoft's own official Surface websites have had incorrect tech specs before (e.g. MicroSDXC typo, the fools).

Then again, they didn't support DisplayPort 1.2 out of the gate and there's only one USB 3.0 port on the docking station, so I am definitely not holding my breath.

I wish you were and could be right, but everything to me says otherwise, unfortunately.

 

[oion]

Then again, they didn't support DisplayPort 1.2 out of the gate and there's only one USB 3.0 port on the docking station, so I am definitely not holding my breath.

I wish you were and could be right, but everything to me says otherwise, unfortunately.

Entirely possible. I can't think of any good reason why MS skimped on ports and connection spec for the docking station. It's not like there's not enough space for additional internals in a dock--mobility isn't an issue at all.

 

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Entirely possible. I can't think of any good reason why MS skimped on ports and connection spec for the docking station. It's not like there's not enough space for additional internals in a dock--mobility isn't an issue at all.

Exactly!

The purpose of a docking station is to provide significant expansion to the device that you wouldn't normally have when not docked. As such, here is my take on the docking station, based on what I've seen and read:

1. USB 3.0 Ports -- From all the pics I've seen, the on-device USB 3.0 port is not accessible, so the net result is the same: Just one USB 3.0 port.
2. USB 2.0 Ports -- For the docking station, this is an upgrade, as there are none on the SP device.
3. Audio -- To reduce the number of devices I have to plug in, I stream my audio from my SP to the external speakers via USB. It's great to have this natively on the docking station, but it definitely is not a game-changer, either.
4. Ethernet Port -- I currently have Gigabit Ethernet via USB, so it makes no sense to downgrade to 10/100 on the docking station's Ethernet port.
5. DisplayPort -- With the SP2's DP 1.2 support, I am able to daisy-chain my external monitors, so no gain for me here.

So, based on the above, there certainly isn't much of an incentive for me to get the docking station, based on my setup and use case. Hopefully they make a second-generation docking station that addresses what are, to me, shortfalls.