JUNE 2020 PCWorld 15Microsoft representatives
say it will pass 199W to the
Surface Book 3 and other
devices. Here’s an
interesting twist, though:
according to Microsoft’s
specifications, the Surface
Dock 2 is compatible with
the Surface Book 3, the
Surface Pro 7, the Surface
Pro X, the Surface Laptop 3,
and the Surface Go 2. It is
not compatible with older
Surfaces, including the
Surface Studio, Surface
Hub, Surface Pro 4, Surface
Pro 3, or the first-generation
Surface Book. We don’t
know why these older
models are cut off.
The Surface Dock 2 swaps the
miniDisplayPort connections on the first
Dock for USB-C ports. There are two
“generic” USB-C ports by themselves, on
one side of the device. On the other,
Microsoft has added what it calls “video-
enabled USB-C ports,” presumably
designed with the DisplayPort interface in
mind. There are also two USB-A 3.
(10Gbps) ports, Gigabit ethernet, a 3.5mm
jack, and a Kensington lock.
The Surface Connect cable is longer, too,
at 80cm, or just over 2.5 feet. Unfortunately, it
probably means investing in USB-C-to-HDMI
cables, instead of the tried-and-true miniDP-
to-DisplayPort cables.
The Surface Dock 2 is priced at $260,
about $60 higher than the original
Surface Dock.
Microsoft isn’t saying much about the
Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub, though it’s
undoubtedly designed to offer functionality
similar to the number of great USB-C hubs
(go.pcworld.com/ushb) already on the
market. The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub is
priced at $100. Both it and the Surface Dock
2 will start shipping to customers later this
month in select markets, the company said.The Surface Dock 2 looks about the same as the first generation, just
with USB-C ports instead of the miniDisplayPort connectors. The power
port is to the left, with ethernet, an audio jack, two USB-C ports, and
two USB-A ports next to it.USB-C connections have been added to both sides of the Microsoft
Surface Dock 2.