Microsoft held a media event in New York this morning to unveil the next generation of its Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets. While there were a variety of updates and improvements to both tablets, the one thing that stands out above all the rest is the new docking station.

Earlier this year, I spent 30 days replacing both my MacBook Air and my iPad with a Surface Pro. The net result of my immersive experience with the Surface Pro is that I found it to be admirable as both a PC and a tablet. The one thing that I felt was truly lacking, though, was a docking station.

Other tablets don’t have docking stations, so what’s the big deal? Why is a docking station so important?

Well, to answer that we have to start at the crux of the matter—the Surface Pro is first and foremost a PC. It happens to be in a tablet form factor—which makes it more portable and versatile than most of its PC rivals—but in terms of its hardware, its operating system, and its capabilities, it is a PC. Comparing it to tablets is misguided.

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