Is a Surface Book review coming soon?

[savagelizards]

At this point it's safe to guess the review will be pretty much on par with what the rest of us think of our surface books. Its biggest selling point is that there is really nothing like it at all on the market. Because of that we love it. It's also riddled with issues and design inconsistencies and flaws that you would think microsoft would've fixed 4 months after being released. I'm all about Windows and overall I like my Surface Book but with the level of satisfaction I feel with my purchase I can say that had Apple actually created a legit competing product I would've returned my Surface Book and purchased my first apple computer instead playing this waiting game with Microsoft.

^How I feel after about my book every time I read that the 2/17 update "fixed" surface book. I like it, but it's not cured and at this point I expect it's the Skylake chip that's the issue. I expect that a further Surface update will kill hyper-threading, and only then will things will stabilize a bit, but that's going to sacrifice performance. The Surface Book won't be two times as fast as the MacBook Pro anymore.

 

[savagelizards]

Couple of things:

1. Holidays
2. CES for last week
3. Ours broke, had to get it replaced then had to replace the replacement

Going to try and finish this week.

Not to keep beating a horse that's already coughing up blood, but I am interested to read your review of the Surface Book. It's now March, and the product started shipping in October. Mostly I am interested to see if your third book eventually became your daily driver or if it's still too unworkable for you to use long enough to review. I would guess I am not the only one in this forum that would be interested.

 

[savagelizards]

This is just never going to happen, is it?

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

This is just never going to happen, is it?

At this point it would seem so lol.

 

[savagelizards]

That tells you everything you need to know about the Surface Book. Six months in and Windows Central still can't write a positive review about the Surface Book. It's too bad, because I had such high hopes for a product where Microsoft finally controlled both the hardware and the software. But I still couldn't write a completely positive review either. I bet the 3rd gen SB will rock though...

 

[orlbuckeye]

Well I watch youtube in all browsers and use GOM player for local video files playback. If something doesn't work in Edge I goto the option open in internet explorer. Remember Edge is designed for new technologies in wensites and IE uses the old technologies that still exist on the internet.

 

[ctk4949]

That tells you everything you need to know about the Surface Book. Six months in and Windows Central still can't write a positive review about the Surface Book. It's too bad, because I had such high hopes for a product where Microsoft finally controlled both the hardware and the software. But I still couldn't write a completely positive review either. I bet the 3rd gen SB will rock though...

Mine has been working great. Ive read a few positive reviews on other sites.

 

[zerospace-net]

Mine has been working great. Ive read a few positive reviews on other sites.

That's great... mine isn't working great. I wish it were, then I wouldn't have had to go out and spend another $700 to build a new SFF desktop PC so I could have a reliable computer on my desk every day.

And I find it really, really interesting that Windows Central has said they've needed to exchange their review unit at least once and still haven't reviewed the machine when its been 6 months since the thing hit store shelves. I mean, come on. They're giving MS more time than they deserve to put a solid, high performance machine that actually works as advertised in the hands of one of the biggest MS fan sites on the Internet and either they haven't or Windows Central doesn't want to post a bad review ...

 

[ctk4949]

That's great... mine isn't working great. I wish it were, then I wouldn't have had to go out and spend another $700 to build a new SFF desktop PC so I could have a reliable computer on my desk every day.

And I find it really, really interesting that Windows Central has said they've needed to exchange their review unit at least once and still haven't reviewed the machine when its been 6 months since the thing hit store shelves. I mean, come on. They're giving MS more time than they deserve to put a solid, high performance machine that actually works as advertised in the hands of one of the biggest MS fan sites on the Internet and either they haven't or Windows Central doesn't want to post a bad review ...

I dont understand ppl, if it isnt working great?? Why keep it?? Return it and get ur money back?? Exchange it?? So ppl just settle and keep it?? Throw away all that money??

 

[zerospace-net]

I dont understand ppl, if it isnt working great?? Why keep it?? Return it and get ur money back?? Exchange it?? So ppl just settle and keep it?? Throw away all that money??

Let me make something abundantly clear: We do not all have the option to return these things at any time. My Surface Book was fine until several Windows updates and firmware updates came down (starting with build 1511 in November, culminating with firmware updates in December and finally Feb 17th -- machine purchased on launch day in October) that turned it into a complete piece of junk. Clearly, this took place after my return window ended (30 days here in the USA). So yes, if I could, I would return it, but I can not.

So, my choices are:

1) exchange it for another one that will have the same flaws as my current one (or possibly worse) -- every single one of my problems is well documented on MS's own forums. They know about these problems and have yet to fix them. So, getting a new machine won't fix the bugs that exist in pretty much every single unit. Some people just tolerate them as "quirks". I don't. I spent $2000 on a machine -- I expect close to perfection after 6 months on the market for that price tag in this day and age.

2) sell it. I can not, in good conscience, sell this piece of crap to another person and put them through the same hell I've gone through with it. I just can't. It was my mistake to purchase it, so I'll suck it up and deal with it, rather than turn my mistake into someone else's. Or maybe MS will finally fix the problems one day...

I have considered looking into filing a chargeback with my CC company if they'd allow me to complain that the item I bought was not as advertised or even suing MS in small claims court over the fact that this machine does not do what it was advertised to do. But I doubt it either would be worth the time & frustration. Let's just say that this is the last MS device I buy at launch, and never again will I trust them past the 30 day return window to actually correct the problems.

 

[ctk4949]

Let me make something abundantly clear: We do not all have the option to return these things at any time. My Surface Book was fine until several Windows updates and firmware updates came down (starting with build 1511 in November, culminating with firmware updates in December and finally Feb 17th -- machine purchased on launch day in October) that turned it into a complete piece of junk. Clearly, this took place after my return window ended (30 days here in the USA). So yes, if I could, I would return it, but I can not.

So, my choices are:

1) exchange it for another one that will have the same flaws as my current one (or possibly worse) -- every single one of my problems is well documented on MS's own forums. They know about these problems and have yet to fix them. So, getting a new machine won't fix the bugs that exist in pretty much every single unit. Some people just tolerate them as "quirks". I don't. I spent $2000 on a machine -- I expect close to perfection after 6 months on the market for that price tag in this day and age.

2) sell it. I can not, in good conscience, sell this piece of crap to another person and put them through the same hell I've gone through with it. I just can't. It was my mistake to purchase it, so I'll suck it up and deal with it, rather than turn my mistake into someone else's. Or maybe MS will finally fix the problems one day...

Amazing you must live in Bizaro world where every firmware made things worst. lol

How do you know if another one will have the same flaws?? Since NOT EVERYONE has a lemon like you??

 

[zerospace-net]

Amazing you must live in Bizaro world where every firmware made things worst. lol

How do you know if another one will have the same flaws?? Since NOT EVERYONE has a lemon like you??

Go read the Microsoft support forums. Seriously. Just do it. Look at how many lemons are out there. There are threads that are nearly 100 pages long regarding some of the common issues.

 

[Dush Ku]

Surface Book review in best laptops says it's a negative that the screen is taller? Weird.

 

[ctk4949]

Go read the Microsoft support forums. Seriously. Just do it. Look at how many lemons are out there. There are threads that are nearly 100 pages long regarding some of the common issues.

OK lets say Microsoft sold 10,000 Surface Books. Wouldnt there be more than 100 page long threads????

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Couple of things:

1. Holidays
2. CES for last week
3. Ours broke, had to get it replaced then had to replace the replacement

Going to try and finish this week.

still no review months later.

 

[savagelizards]

still no review months later.

If you can't say something nice then don't say anything is Dan's motto... Waiting for Surface Book 2 at this point...

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

If you can't say something nice then don't say anything is Dan's motto... Waiting for Surface Book 2 at this point...

I didn't say anything that wasn't nice. I stated a known fact.

 

[ctk4949]

If you can't say something nice then don't say anything is Dan's motto... Waiting for Surface Book 2 at this point...

Best Ultrabook of 2016 | Windows Central

What?!?! LOL!!

 

[zerospace-net]

Best Ultrabook of 2016 | Windows Central

What?!?! LOL!!

And yet that's really not a review, so the original question still stands. WC is likely never going to write an official review of the original Surface Book. It was problematic for so long that if they did write a review, they would have had to cover how many times they returned their unit before they got one that worked properly.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Surface Book, but I still say it is not a particularly good device -- it's been out almost a year now and it still has a grotesque number of bugs and instability issues, with some being fixed while new ones are introduced with each OS and firmware update. Every time an update installs (be it software or firmware), I hold my breath wondering what will happen. This last set of updates have made my keyboard and mouse stop working correctly on resume from sleep/hibernation. This after a period of things working well, and then MS went and unleashed the anniversary update on us. I wish I could give it back. This machine has been a roller coaster ride at best for me -- it's had some wonderful high points, but they are always followed within a month or two by an update that breaks something important or causes major performance issues making me hate the machine all over again. *sigh*

 

[cane prevost1]

Do you think he would name it the best ultrabook and then write a bad review? It's way too late now to write a review as a refresh of this model is right around the corner.