Microsoft Display Dock Reviewed @ TDL
Microsoft bills their Continuum enabling display dock as “A PC-like experience”, and I think the “like” in that title requires some serious attention. Reviews of the dock + Windows 10 Mobile device (currently only supported on the 950 & 950XL) have been a bit thin so it was great to see Ian Dixon’s video showing the experience.
Unfortunately, I just can’t help but shrug when it comes to the experience. Sure it’s cool, in a gee-whiz kind of way, but since you need to lug around the dock + keyboard + mouse and count on a monitor + power supply (noting that despite the USB Type-C-ness of the dock and phones, it can’t be powered from the phone) being wherever you want to use it, real portability is muddled vs. a laptop type device that can run multiple apps, at the same time, not in full screen, without must-be-universal-app restrictions. Now, in fairness, it is possible to omit the keyboard and mouse in your kit bag, and drive the experience completely off the device, but frankly that just misses the point (perhaps much like Continuum itself ;)).
Now, I’m happy to be wrong here. Maybe it is the killer feature that will pull Windows 10 Mobile out of the coffin Microsoft has slowly built for it, leading to mainstream adoption and eventual success.
One of the big differentiators with the new Lumia 950 and 950 XL and Windows 10 Mobile is Continuum. The idea behind continuum is that you plug your phone into a dock and then you get a PC experience with a keyboard, mouse and monitor using your phone.