Microsoft's New Surface Pro 3 Has A New Docking Station That Makes It Indistinguishable From A Desktop

I feel that there are far too many times where we see add-ons for technology or games. Really, just about anything that has to deal with add-ons kind of makes me cringe, and here is the reason why. I just spent money on the product, but now you're telling me that there is something else I need to add to make it better? While that is all well and good, I feel like I'm getting gypped because I feel as if I'm getting an unfinished product. We see this a lot with video games and downloadable content extras. I feel as if tech companies have started to take notice of all the people who purchase things like this and now have decided to use it with their own technology to increase sales. Take for example the relatively new Microsoft Surface Pro 3. The "tablet that can replace your laptop" now is offering a nice little add-on for those hardcore enough to get it.

The Docking Station
Let's get to the meat and potatoes of it all. Microsoft has just recently introduced a new docking station for their Surface Pro 3, and for what it's worth, it's actually pretty awesome. The docking station itself comes with quite a few extra ports; 5 USB ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, a security slot, a gigabit Ethernet port, and a very handy Mini Display Port connector. The Mini Display Port can enable your tablet to add another monitor to double the screen size, definitely a really nice touch for the new docking station. Arguably the best part of the whole device is the way that it makes the new Surface Pro 3 look oddly reminiscent of a desktop computer in the way that it has been designed. The new docking station is pretty portable as well, and only adds to  fact that the device can have its versatility stretched.

The Price Tag
You may not think that the price tag of something like this is really that much to talk about, but it's more the price tag for different add-on devices that tends to grind my gears. This particular device has a relatively smaller price tag. The docking station will cost you roughly $200. This in itself isn't TOO bad, but when you think about the fact that the Surface Pro 3 is already $800 (and that doesn't even include the tablet's keyboard), those extras add up quickly. So the docking station raises the price tag of the Surface Pro 3 by quite a bit, which can only raise one question: Is it really worth it?

A Sound Investment?
These types of add-ons for devices aren't usually this intricate or this practical. It definitely makes having the Surface Pro 3 that much better if you do own/use one. Now you really can have a desktop on the go with the new docking station. The docking station does still have a few drawbacks, including the price and that fact that the only display port is a MiniDisplay port. That being said, if you can get past the price of the docking station and not really need another screen, then this honestly could be a must buy. The only thing that would really hold me back from this, again, is the price tag of this station. $200 is a lot of money to ask for when you're not really getting anything other than a power charging station and a few extra ports.

For those of us who may happen to already own, or may rent, the new Surface Pro 3, this could definitely help make working with your laptop/tablet hybrid a lot easier. The fact that you can basically have a new desktop wherever there is electricity definitely makes the new docking station all that much more appealing despite the fact that it still is $200. Who is to say that more tech companies won't follow suit and start putting out tech add-ons either? We will see in the very near future!

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Apple's all new 12" MacBook and a higher-res sixth-gen iPad for 2014

Apple has a newly designed 12-inch MacBook featuring a high-resolution display, and a new 9.7-inch sixth-generation iPad with an even higher pixel count than the most current Retina display. Both are to be released next year according to knowledgeable insider Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo, who is an an analyst working for KGI Securities, has said that Apple has a ton of major new products in the works for 2014. The biggest one being the new 12-inch MacBook which will feature what he said is an "ultra-slim clamshell form factor."

He says this new and improved MacBook will bring the best of both worlds from both the portability of the 11-inch MacBook Air and the greater productivity brought by the 13-inch model. The display is said to be up to par with Apple's high-resolution MacBook Pro Retina display.

Kuo says that the newest MacBook being worked on will "redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air."

Despite all the rumors that Apple will probably introduce a notebook powered by its custom A-series chips like the ones found in the iPhone and iPad, Kuo made it clear that he does not expect that the new 12-inch MacBook will run on an A-series chip. Instead, he thinks that the new MacBook will feature a traditional Intel CPU.

He has also revealed that Apple is currently working on a new sixth-generation iPad that will feature a higher pixel-per-inch count than the current 9.7-inch iPad with Retina display. Going against the recent rumors yet again, he doesn't expect Apple to launch a 12-inch iPad next year.

The sixth-generation iPad is expected to launch in late 2014, and will cram in as much as 40 percent more pixels than the current iPad's Retina display.

Inside the Apple supply chain, he is expecting the company Parade Technology to benefit from an large amount of embedded DisplayPort technology in the 2014 lineup. Kuo said eDP, which is a standardized display interface that makes graphics processors interface with display panels, will more than likely play a large role in the company's products next year.

"We think Parade will defend its status as Apple's sole eDP provider going into 2014, making it one of the top stories in the Apple supply chain," Kuo wrote in a research note.

Kuo has quite the track record of accurately revealing Apple's future plans. He was the first person to reveal that Apple would retire its 17-inch MacBook Pro. He also correctly forecast Apple's fall 2012 product lineup in its entirety, and his predictions for Apple's 2013 launch schedule made in January have thus far proven 100 percent correct.

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