Surface Pro Dock Availability?

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Surface Pro Dock Availability?

TwoSeven

1649 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 262

Subscriber

#142949 29-Mar-2014 20:10

Just wondering, is the dock for the Surface Pro available in New Zealand, it seemed to have been announced some months back but doesn't appear on any shopping sites.

Software Engineer
(the practice of real science, engineering and management)
A.I. (Automation rebranded)
Gender Neutral
(a person who believes in equality and who does not believe in/use stereotypes. Examples such as gender, binary, nonbinary, male/female etc.)

...they/their/them...

1 | 2

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1015213 29-Mar-2014 22:07

Parallel import one if you need one, there's no NZ launch date currently.

Dynamic

3889 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1680

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1015250 30-Mar-2014 00:02

I hope it is safe to assume you are talking about a Surface Pro 2, as I am assuming that you wouldn't be asking about a dock for a 6+ month old portable computer.

If the above is correct, Nathan I remember you looking very pleased to show off the dock almost exactly 6 months ago at a seminar I attended (brilliant seminar hosted by Fred - really encouraged me to reconsider Office 365). Please give the appropriate team a kick in the rear for not having this dock available. The lack of dock availability says to me 'We don't really give a monkeys uncle about the NZ market'.

While I'm having a grumble.... I've quoted exactly zero Surface Pro's to clients. Why? I can't buy them from the local distributors like I can an HP or Dell or Lenovo laptop/tablet/desktop. That also means I don't have an easy method (i.e. the usual channels) of getting a demo unit to play with for a week, preventing me becoming a fan. I'm not terribly interested in sending clients to the local retailer to buy their equipment. Instead I purchased an HP tablet with a detachable keyboard that I was able to get a demo unit for, and have raved about it to clients.

Disclaimer: I've had more than one bourbon and ginger ale in the couple of hours.

Boys and girls... never post on the internet when you've had a couple. :)

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

Referral links to services I use, really like, and may be rewarded if you sign up:
PocketSmith for budgeting and personal finance management. A great Kiwi company.

CutCutCut

1039 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 53

#1015793 31-Mar-2014 08:33

I have 2 of these on pre-order at Noel Leemings, nearly 6months now. They called me last week to apologise and ask if I wished to cancel the order as they don't know when/if they will get any. He also said their supply of surface pro 2's has been rather patchy also. Rather unfortunate really, Microsoft not really doing themselves many favours.
I've been looking at trying to import one from the states, of course nobody will ship it directly to NZ. Amazon don't sell it directly, they fulfill orders via 3rd party sellers, I'm not too keen on that myself. The other avenues I've tried, bestbuy, staples, and Microsoft US webstie all require a US credit card which is a bit of a pain. I did call Microsfot and talked to somebody whoc was going to try and put it through herself on the phone, she thought it would work then, but after 25 mins on the phone she got stucj as a part of their system was down, and I haven't had time to call back and try that again yet.
So if you have access to a US credit card and a freight fowarding service you should be ok, otherwise it's a little trickier in my experience.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1015821 31-Mar-2014 09:32

PB Tech will parallel import them for you, about $350

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1029674 23-Apr-2014 11:03

and now listed on their website
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=TAAMST2040I

Dairyxox

1594 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 455

#1029881 23-Apr-2014 16:09

Really shocked at the price of some of these accessories.
Surface is reasonably priced, but when you factor in an extra $500+ for these accessories (Type cover, plus Dock) it gets a bit silly.

MackinNZ

450 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 119

Lifetime subscriber

#1029902 23-Apr-2014 16:23

Dairyxox: Really shocked at the price of some of these accessories.

In my experience, most decent laptop docking stations (non-USB) are in the $200-$350 range so the Surface one is not that bad really

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1630
Inactive user

#1029917 23-Apr-2014 16:33

its debatable whether you "need" a dock

the price from the site I mentioned is parallel imported. You can obviously buy your own and bring it in yourself for US$199

We'll have an announcement about a future Surface Dock accessory officially available in NZ

I still think Surface is reasonably priced when you consider the equivalent options for a Hybrid Intel x86 Core i5 based PC tablet. Surface Pro is now $700 for instance

CutCutCut

1039 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 53

#1029937 23-Apr-2014 16:50

I have succesfully imported one from frys.com. They do ship to NZ directly but it was about $85 USD. They are the only retailer I could find that would accept a non-US credit card. I used YouShop and postage cost a shade under $40 NZD after a 15% discount. Total was approx $275 - $280 NZD. It took about a week to get to the Youshop address in Oregon, and about 5 days to get to NZ.
I have just ordered a second hours before I saw the PB Tech press release. No warranty, but you can save about $120 NZD than buying it from PB Tech, and if you want more than one it soon adds up.
The dock itself seems really good, no issues so far, really helps simplifies my father-in-laws setup. It feels and looks like a high quality device.

billgates

4705 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 671

Trusted

#1030021 23-Apr-2014 18:58

I buy the docking station from MS Store USA, ship to YouShop then NZ.

Strongly recommend this ebay seller. It's USD$209 for the dock + USD$25 to ship to NZ.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Microsoft-Docking-Station-Microsoft-Surface-Pro-Pro-2-G5Y-00001-/231184905642?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d3b1b5aa

Do whatever you want to do man.

Regs

4066 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 206

Trusted

Snowflake

#1030036 23-Apr-2014 19:17

Dairyxox: Really shocked at the price of some of these accessories.
Surface is reasonably priced, but when you factor in an extra $500+ for these accessories (Type cover, plus Dock) it gets a bit silly.

check out the pirce of a Lenovo dock, or an HP dock. They are $300 each too. Surface isn't pricing these any differently really.

CutCutCut

1039 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 53

#1032382 28-Apr-2014 09:45

billgates: I buy the docking station from MS Store USA, ship to YouShop then NZ.

Strongly recommend this ebay seller. It's USD$209 for the dock + USD$25 to ship to NZ.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Microsoft-Docking-Station-Microsoft-Surface-Pro-Pro-2-G5Y-00001-/231184905642?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d3b1b5aa

How do you buy stuff from the MS Store USA?

billgates

4705 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 671

Trusted

#1032394 28-Apr-2014 10:07

CutCutCut:

How do you buy stuff from the MS Store USA?

ANZ CC + YouShop US address for billing address. Works for me.

Do whatever you want to do man.

CutCutCut

1039 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 53

#1035274 2-May-2014 08:57

CutCutCut: I have succesfully imported one from frys.com. They do ship to NZ directly but it was about $85 USD. They are the only retailer I could find that would accept a non-US credit card. I used YouShop and postage cost a shade under $40 NZD after a 15% discount. Total was approx $275 - $280 NZD. It took about a week to get to the Youshop address in Oregon, and about 5 days to get to NZ.
I have just ordered a second hours before I saw the PB Tech press release. No warranty, but you can save about $120 NZD than buying it from PB Tech, and if you want more than one it soon adds up.
The dock itself seems really good, no issues so far, really helps simplifies my father-in-laws setup. It feels and looks like a high quality device.

May have spoken too soon, frys.com keep cancelling any more orders I try, despite using the exact details I did from my first one which they did ship. Very odd. I may have to try that ebay seller. Interesting that some people can get their NZ credit cards accepted using youshop address and others cannot.

TwoSeven

1649 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 262

Subscriber

#1035306 2-May-2014 10:02

I while back I spoke to an MS CSR in the states over a MS Store purchase I wanted to make. They explained that the billing address of the card needed to be a US one for their store, and the shipping address also needed to be a US one otherwise I would need to use the NZ store (which didn't have any of the products on it).

...they/their/them...

1 | 2