What display option do you use when docking your Surface

[Bobvfr]

I would have posted this in the Surface section but it's not specific to SP3, 4 or the latest one.

When you dock a Surface Pro 3/4 or I assume the new one (Not 5). You have the following options in Settings/Display/multiple screens.

1 Duplicate
2 Extend
3 Show on screen 1 only (The surfaces screen)
4 Show on screen 2 only (Your monitor)

As mentioned in a couple of other threads I have replaced my desktop with my SP4 and docking station, my wife has an SP3 with a docking station as well.

When I set my wife's up I set it to duplicate the screen, but because the screen has a wider ratio she has two black bars on each side.

I set my one up to use both screens (Extend) the SP4 and the large monitor.

But I have now decided to go to Show on Display 2 (The external monitor), the main reason for this is if I disconnected the cable and used the Surface as a tablet, when I re-docked and went back to desktop mode I would have to re-setup any apps that are run on the larger monitor, so for example Edge, instead of coming back on screen 2, it would open on screen 1 (The surfaces screen) and also be much smaller, so I would have to drag it back to screen 2 and resize it, the same with any other app I wanted on screen 2.

So what setup do you use and why, when you have your Surface Pro's docked?

 

[Bobvfr]

Been playing around as usual, think I have come up with the best solution for me and the wife (Who is not a technically minded person).

The four options as mentioned are:

1 Duplicate: Because the Surface screen doesn't match most monitors in aspect ratio cause black bars to appear on the edge of your screen.

2 Extend: Forces you to leave tablet mode, fine for me but confuses the heck out of the wife.

3 Show on 1: (The surface screen) is a bit pointless, you may as well have not plugged it into the docking station unless it is to use other devices, but most people would have a monitor plugged in as well.

4 Show on 2: This seems the most sensible option for me, 1 so the wife doesn't get confused as it can happily stay in tablet mode, 2 I can easily switch to desktop mode when or if I choose using the Action centre button, but I can live with tablet mode for 80% of what I am doing anyway, and 3 I suppose it gives the Surface screen a rest.

This way I can show the wife again at the weekend how she can easily go from a tablet to a PC by just plugging in the docking cable, she only has a monitor with built in speakers, keyboard and mouse plugged into her dock.

What I wont show her is that she could just as easily plug into my docking station and use her Surface at my desk, gaining access to speakers, microphone and web cam, sorry I just hate anyone even my wife sitting in my chair........

I would rather go out and get another set of peripherals for her.