Microsoft Surface Scaling - Plugging into a larger monitor

I am considering buying a Microsoft Surface Tablet that would replace my Toshiba Satellite C655 Laptop but I have a few concerns:

I have read that I would need to reboot windows and burrow down 5 levels or so to change Windows scaling when I go back and forth from mobile use (around the house and at Bible Study) and then plugging into my Samsung large screen (letterboxed) Monitor. The scaling of the Surface is set by default I am told to 150 and does weird things to large monitors (either not filling it completely and/or making everything too large.
What does one do about the lack of ports. I plug several peripherals in including my cellphone and since the sound is horrible on the Surface, would need to plug in a usb powered speaker too.
I also want to plug in ethernet and hear you need a special dongle for that.

Anyone know a way around these nuisances or at least tell me I do not have to do a zillion things to go back and forth from Surface to Large Screen Monitor please?

Lastly, do you enjoy using Logos 5.0 on your Surface?

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lostlogik

I use L5 on my Surface Pro but not with an external monitor. However, changing scaling isn't that difficult and although a reboot is required, it takes seconds and so isn't that much of an issue.

Ports wise, yes the SP is limited to one USB3 but it is possible to use the Toshiba adaptor that provides several USB and monitor and audio ports. I just plug a mouse into the USB port and have the MS mini port to VGA adaptor. MS also have a USB to ethernet adaptor, though I just use wireless.

And lastly, yes, I love having L5 on the Surface Pro :-)

Bill Anderson

I have heard that the upcoming Windows 8.1 update will address the scaling issue. The public preview of 8.1 is due out sometime soon. You can read an article on it at Paul Thurrott's site.

JoshInRI

This is a direct quote from this site:http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-surface-pro-review-7000011115/

The second problem with this use case is Windows 8's desktop scaling. The Surface Pro ships with desktop scaling set to 150 percent, in order to make text, icons and other on-screen elements readable and (just about) tappable on the tablet's 10.6in. 1080p screen. However, if you attach a large external monitor (we used a 23in. Iiyama Prolite X2377HDS), you'll get a desktop with seriously oversized elements. To change the desktop scaling to 100 percent — to get a better large-monitor display in graphics-tablet mode — you have to logout of your Windows account and log back in again, which is inconvenient.

surface-pro-scaling — Desktop scaling on the Surface Pro (left) and an extended-desktop external monitor (right). Ideally, you'd set the Surface's 10.6in. screen to 150% (top left) for maximum readability and tappability, and the large (23in. in our tests) external monitor to 100% (bottom right) to get the maximum amount of content on-screen. Because you can't scale the screens independently, the best you can do is compromise on 125% for both screens (middle).

If you want to use an external monitor in extended-desktop rather than duplicated mode, you can of course set the resolution of internal and external screens independently. However, Windows doesn't let you do the same for desktop scaling — ideally you'd go for 150 percent on the tablet screen and 100 percent on the external monitor. With our external 23in. Iiyama screen, we found the best compromise — although it's an unsatisfactory one — was to select a middling 125 percent scaling factor.

Hi, its me Joshua the impatient (as in waiting for something better) Tablet guy : )

Thanks for the replies, especially the awesome, patient Bill....blessings.

David Thomas

1) I found Program Scaling at 125% on my surface is the sweet spot for getting enough resolution in L5 while maintaining good touch interaction with all other programs.

2) Before I got my Surface, I used a docking station with my Dell15z laptop which allowed me to connect all peripheral devices over 1 USB connection. The docking station I used was Kensington 420v which allowed Ethernet, External monitor, sound and 4 USB ports for (keyboard/mouse, external Hard Drive, USB TV tuner). [NOTE: This was operating under Win7 and I no longer have access to this device to try it with my Surface running Win8]

3) I currently have an external monitor connected to my Surface via this mini-dp to VGA adapter from Monoprice.

John

Anyone know a way around these nuisances or at least tell me I do not have to do a zillion things to go back and forth from Surface to Large Screen Monitor please?

This may be stating the obvious, but the easiest way to avoid those problems is to not buy a Microsoft Surface Tablet.

I recommend you get a good notebook computer instead. [Y]

JoshInRI

John, thanks for your suggestion. I am aiming for mobility...notebooks defeat the purpose of hybrid separation.
Sometimes I want Logos at full functionality away from my desk - and without the mouse and keyboard too.

High cost, exorbitant heat from the back of the Surface, poor battery times, and now scaleability have caused me continue to wait...and wait.

Perhaps the new Haswell chips coming out in a few days will help. In the interim, I will just make do with my Nexus 7 and Toshiba Sattelite C655 (as well as my Samsung Synchmaster large monitor).

Jesus didn't have all this and neither did his Disciples.
All Glory Praise and Honor Be His forevermore.[:)]

John

...notebooks defeat the purpose of hybrid separation. Sometimes I want Logos at full functionality away from my desk - and without the mouse and keyboard too.

Gotcha. Have you looked at all the new designs coming out? Many of the new notebooks can flip the screen around over the keyboard and function like a tablet. This gives you the full function of a real computer, with the ability to also act as a tablet. The Sony Vaio Duo has a display that slides down over the keyboard and looks just like a tablet when the keyboard is not in use.

There are also the dockable tablet type notebooks, such as the new Asus Transformer. All the advantages of the surface, with none of the disadvantages. Undocked, it is a Windows 8 tablet. Docked, it is a notebook with all the I/O and ports you need.

There are a lot of choices out there now, more than ever. Personally, I'm still going to stick with a keyboard and mouse [H]

JoshInRI

John, the flippies are too heavy (and expose the keyboard to a desk or hands).

The twistey ones are just silly.

The Transfomer is around $1,499...way out of my budget.

The new iconia looked like it might work but the display is not good from what I have read so far.

Noone seems to be solving my scaling issues when connected to a larger better monitor either.