Hybrid Work Hardware: Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock

This report is part of a new Techsponential series on hybrid work issues and tools.

Microsoft is launching a new laptop dock today, called the Surface Thunderbolt 4 dock, but it should* work with pretty much any laptop with a Thunderbolt 4 port, not just Microsoft's own Surface line. Microsoft has been making docks for years, but this is the first Surface Dock without Microsoft's proprietary magnetic Surface Connector. This is a good move: it broadens compatibility (or at least perceived compatibility) beyond Surface, at only a small cost in usability. The Surface Connector is versatile and convenient, but connecting magnetically is only marginally easier/faster than USB-C, and the short cable from the dock to the laptop isn't something anyone is going to trip over and yank the laptop to the ground.

The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is available today for $300, which is not inexpensive, but actually quite competitive for a powered (96W) Thunderbolt 4 dock. It provides a simple way to go from mobile computing to desktop mode, instantly connecting to Ethernet, up to two monitors at 60Hz, multiple USB devices, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack in case your laptop no longer has one.

Kudos to Microsoft's design team: in a nod to accessibility/usability/both, the rear ports have raised indicators differentiating themselves by touch.

On the sustainability side, Microsoft is using 20% ocean-bound plastic in the power supply housing, and the packaging is made almost entirely from recyclable materials.

Finally, while I suspect that many individuals will buy these, Microsoft clearly sells these in bulk to enterprise customers, and has included IT-friendly features like Firmware Update through Windows Update, Wake on LAN from Modern Standby, and MAC Address Passthrough‎.

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*It should work with anything with a Thunderbolt 4 port, including Macs, but Microsoft only lists four Thunderbolt 4 Surfaces in its “designed for” section on the product page, and more limited USB-C compatibility with several others. Firmware updates require Windows Update or the Surface app.