The device is projected to go on sale in the US in mid-August

Jul 22, 2014 13:39 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft today started getting orders for the Surface Pro 3 docking station, an accessory that basically turns your tablet into a full-featured PC with access to external monitors, keyboards, mice, printers, speakers and all kinds of USB devices.

The Surface Pro 3 docking station comes with 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, a 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet port, 1 Mini DisplayPort connection, one security clock slot and 1 3.5 mm audio jack input.

Of course, buyers who’ll want to connect monitors with HDMI, VGA, or DVI connections will need additional adapters.

“The Surface Pro 3 Docking Station is a simple and elegant way to increase the utility of your Surface Pro 3—the tablet that can replace your laptop. With the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station, it’s also the tablet that can become your desktop,” Microsoft says about the device.

The Surface Pro 3 docking station is available in the United States for $199.99 (Є150), with the first units to be shipped to buyers on August 15.

As far as physical dimensions are concerned, the Surface Pro 3 docking station measures 12.9 x 3.8 x 4.4 inches (32.7 x 9.6 x 11.1 cm) and weighs in only 1.43 pounds (650g), which is almost the same as the tablet itself, which has a weight of 1.76 lbs (0.79 kg).