Another Day, Another Bug!!!!

[spasell]

I really really really want to LOVE my SP3...I really do.

No really...I REALLY do. But all I can say is that I currently "like" it.

I loved my MacAir, all except the screen and eventually middling battery. I went from Love to Like because of that.

I loved my Note 10.1 2014 edition. Except after a year that too had battery issues. But I at least started and had LOVE for months and months.

Sadly, I loved my SP3 for all of 1 week. And then, bug after bug after bug after bug. Don't get me wrong, I know products will have issues and good companies jump all over them to fix them. But let's be real here people. The SP3 is NOT a new product. Screen size does not make this a new product. This is a 3rd Gen Surface Pro device with a bigger screen. Period.

So, what does that say about Microsoft that they simply cannot get it right out of the box on the 3rd try? I don't get it!

So, I've had keyboard connectivity wild jumping around the screen cursor issues.
I've had wifi connectivity issues that seem to STILL not be solved properly.
Overheating during even the smallest and less taxing of task.
Wake up issues
Yellowing effect on the left side of the screen problems (and I've gotten my 3rd machine and "seems" to be fixed "for now")
OneNote crashing when writing notes
Pen press to instant open not working
Locking me out when using OneNote and coming back from sleeping

And now? Well, now after the latest update, when I am in Metro IE, and using the side by side "Snap screen" or whatever the hell they are calling it these days, when I close one of the two I have open, the screen stays half open and half empty blue. Yup. Used to be when you closed an app when running two, the other one would just take up the entire screen.

But nope. Not anymore.

I cannot begin to tell you how all these things add up and pile up and you cannot help but say to yourself "What in the heck did I just drop $1500 on", especially when you have to get hardware replacements or continually search and scour the web for help.

So, yeah, fanboys, go ahead and rip me for complaining. Tell me to go back to Apple or Android or whomever because I am lodging complaints since apparently, having a complaint is an issue (especially when everyone else is also in the same boat). Yell and scream and get it out there. I'm an ignorant user and shouldn't have spent the $$ on this if I didn't expect ____ and _____ and _____ to happen.

Meanwhile, we sit and wonder why Apple and Google kick the crap out of the competition, particularly Apple, when it comes to designing and selling products that people fall in love with.

I WANT to love this SP3. I STILL want to love it. But sadly, I just "like" it right now and "like" is getting harder week by week.

Ugh

 

[Adam_ation]

I absolutely LOVE my SP3, not noticing any major issues at all to be honest. To be on your 3rd machine already sets alarm bells ringing for me, if i were you i would do microsoft a favour and give up on the SP3 - Adam

 

[spasell]

I absolutely LOVE my SP3, not noticing any major issues at all to be honest. To be on your 3rd machine already sets alarm bells ringing for me, if i were you i would do microsoft a favour and give up on the SP3 - Adam

That's the problem right there Adam. It isn't doing them a "favor". It's the reason they are lagging behind all others and losing market share. They were once the pioneers in the industry and now they a reactionary. The are not looking to innovate. They look to try and copy or "catch up".

In honesty, I think the hardware of SP3 is phenomenal. It's the best built laptop/Tablet that I can think of. I've had the following devices:

iPad
iPad 2
iPad Retina
Nexus 7
Galaxy Tab 7
Galaxy Note 10.1 2014
Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet
Motorola Xoom

I am required to test all of these devices and make recommendations as to what is most effective for our sales teams. Tool to get the job done.

SP3 is no question the best built tablet/device I have used.

But again, the reason why people fall back to certain platforms is that they just work. ios and Android are not without their flaws, but why do they just dominate? If they didn't work, there would be more adoption across the board. Period.

Blackberry is an example of a fantastic device and company that absolutely blew it because, get ready for it, they did not LISTEN to the consumer. Microsoft needs to decide what they want to be. If they are going to build devices, hardware, to compliment their software, then they better get it right, because people will be turned off all together.

My son's high school just handed out 1300 MacAir's to their Jr's and Sr's. They were looking at various platforms and decided on Apple. That would have been unheard of 5-7 years ago. Now, Apple has captured that market as well. Device and Software.

My original point was one of frustration, but it's the attitude and responses that are what draw people away.

Blackberry said "We don't care if you want to web surf and watch video...we think people want devices for email and productivity only" and they are probably a year from going completely bankrupt and done. Once the most powerful mobile company in the world. Now, hanging on for life.

Microsoft is involved in many more arenas, so they are not likely to go the way of BB. But, they need to be careful how they go to market and what they make. I'll never go back to BB. I went from my Galaxy III to Blackberry Q10 because I wanted to BELIEVE that they had turned it around. Instead, I got a device that was not ready for primetime because it was rushed...it was a "panic" device.

I get the sense that while the hardware is very refined and sophisticated, the software was just not ready for primetime. And that is sad considering really this is a 3rd Gen device.

 

[Adam_ation]

I think both the software and build excel any other device by far and the only problem is that its taken too long to get to this stage, that said I really don't think the device is either a catchup or a copy of anything. For me what lets them down is their marketing of the device, to market the SP3 as a tablet yet price is as a laptop is kind of crazy!

People will buy the other devices because of the price or because Apple.

 

[spasell]

I think both the software and build excel any other device by far and the only problem is that its taken too long to get to this stage, that said I really don't think the device is either a catchup or a copy of anything. For me what lets them down is their marketing of the device, to market the SP3 as a tablet yet price is as a laptop is kind of crazy!

People will buy the other devices because of the price or because Apple.

Well, the "proof is in the pudding" as my grandmother used to tell me, and the pudding doesn't look so good. Multiple exchanges by many people, more than 4 software and 3 firmware updates within a 4-5 week period. It's pathetic. I'm glad that they are updating but the fact that each update seems to not cure underlying issues is of concern.

AND...Again, this isn't a 1st Gen device! It is in terms of hardware, but software wise, which is the buggy part, is NOT.

 

[wertzius]

That behavior is quite normal. If you open 2 Metro apps side by side and you close on, the half of the screen will become blue and a swipe from the left brings the desktop or the next app into this half.

If you open a second Metro app automatically, like IE by clicking a link in Tapatalk, the screen will split for both apps. If you close the opened app, in our example IE, the first app will resize automatically to fullscreen. No need for panic.

 

[stephen_az]

I really really really want to LOVE my SP3...I really do.

No really...I REALLY do. But all I can say is that I currently "like" it.

I loved my MacAir, all except the screen and eventually middling battery. I went from Love to Like because of that.

I loved my Note 10.1 2014 edition. Except after a year that too had battery issues. But I at least started and had LOVE for months and months.

Sadly, I loved my SP3 for all of 1 week. And then, bug after bug after bug after bug. Don't get me wrong, I know products will have issues and good companies jump all over them to fix them. But let's be real here people. The SP3 is NOT a new product. Screen size does not make this a new product. This is a 3rd Gen Surface Pro device with a bigger screen. Period.

So, what does that say about Microsoft that they simply cannot get it right out of the box on the 3rd try? I don't get it!

So, I've had keyboard connectivity wild jumping around the screen cursor issues.
I've had wifi connectivity issues that seem to STILL not be solved properly.
Overheating during even the smallest and less taxing of task.
Wake up issues
Yellowing effect on the left side of the screen problems (and I've gotten my 3rd machine and "seems" to be fixed "for now")
OneNote crashing when writing notes
Pen press to instant open not working
Locking me out when using OneNote and coming back from sleeping

And now? Well, now after the latest update, when I am in Metro IE, and using the side by side "Snap screen" or whatever the hell they are calling it these days, when I close one of the two I have open, the screen stays half open and half empty blue. Yup. Used to be when you closed an app when running two, the other one would just take up the entire screen.

But nope. Not anymore.

I cannot begin to tell you how all these things add up and pile up and you cannot help but say to yourself "What in the heck did I just drop $1500 on", especially when you have to get hardware replacements or continually search and scour the web for help.

So, yeah, fanboys, go ahead and rip me for complaining. Tell me to go back to Apple or Android or whomever because I am lodging complaints since apparently, having a complaint is an issue (especially when everyone else is also in the same boat). Yell and scream and get it out there. I'm an ignorant user and shouldn't have spent the $$ on this if I didn't expect ____ and _____ and _____ to happen.

Meanwhile, we sit and wonder why Apple and Google kick the crap out of the competition, particularly Apple, when it comes to designing and selling products that people fall in love with.

I WANT to love this SP3. I STILL want to love it. But sadly, I just "like" it right now and "like" is getting harder week by week.

Ugh

No offense but it seems, from my perspective, that you really want to not like the product. Some of what you describe are hardware defects, not bugs, and I have not encountered the rest so either I am really lucky or they are not universal. Sorry you have had such bad luck as to have gotten multiple defective units but that is what you are otherwise describing.

You also very clearly define yourself as being biased by saying this is not a new device. I guess we have very different ideas about what third generation means. I am also curious as to what dimension you occupy in which a twelve inch, thinner, lighter weight, device with an entirely different pen technology is not a new design. If nothing else, try shoving SP3 into and SP dock, or using a SP power connector, or a Wacom pen and then please tell me how it is not a redesign.

As for Apple, it is ironic to be waxing poetic over them the same day they are in damage control over the little bending problem with the new iPhones and after they pulled the ios release due to that minor issue of people losing the ability to make calls on their phones. That MBA market share in the PC world is also just amazing - really demonstrates how everyone falls in love with everything Apple. Yes, they do very popular products, but they have never gotten more than a toe-hold in the PC market and even that is after you could load (shock and horror) Windows as a virtual OS. Oh, and regarding one of your other posts, while your son's high school may be handing out MBA's, that is a laughable exception and happens to coincide with Apple's biggest win, its exclusive contract with the LA School District, being cancelled. With respect to Google, I am sorry but your comments are silly, bordering on the surreal. Even the most diehard Google fans I know will readily admit their execution is sloppy and often very cheap. Google makes up in volume, unsustainable discounts (AKA product dumping), and pseudo-free stuff what it lacks in quality and broader customer satisfaction.

I normally would not go to the trouble of posting this sort of response, and I am sorry you are having problems. Beyond that though, and it is why I am posting, I am really tired of people making the obligatory "I love but..." and "I want to love but..." comments here (or on any forum for that matter). You don't want to love it, you want to complain about it. That is also just fine. You can hate it for all it really matters to anyone here. It would be nice though if people would just drop the tortured soul stuff, acknowledge their bias (and complaints) and move forward. You don't have to like it, or any product. You can also do so here and elsewhere to your heart's content - I am not one of those people who think problems should be downplayed or hidden in avocational forums. I just wish people would drop the "I am so conflicted" claims and just say they are unhappy....

 

[spasell]

No offense but it seems, from my perspective, that you really want to not like the product. Some of what you describe are hardware defects, not bugs, and I have not encountered the rest so either I am really lucky or they are not universal. Sorry you have had such bad luck as to have gotten multiple defective units but that is what you are otherwise describing.

You also very clearly define yourself as being biased by saying this is not a new device. I guess we have very different ideas about what third generation means. I am also curious as to what dimension you occupy in which a twelve inch, thinner, lighter weight, device with an entirely different pen technology is not a new design. If nothing else, try shoving SP3 into and SP dock, or using a SP power connector, or a Wacom pen and then please tell me how it is not a redesign.

As for Apple, it is ironic to be waxing poetic over them the same day they are in damage control over the little bending problem with the new iPhones and after they pulled the ios release due to that minor issue of people losing the ability to make calls on their phones. That MBA market share in the PC world is also just amazing - really demonstrates how everyone falls in love with everything Apple. Yes, they do very popular products, but they have never gotten more than a toe-hold in the PC market and even that is after you could load (shock and horror) Windows as a virtual OS. Oh, and regarding one of your other posts, while your son's high school may be handing out MBA's, that is a laughable exception and happens to coincide with Apple's biggest win, its exclusive contract with the LA School District, being cancelled. With respect to Google, I am sorry but your comments are silly, bordering on the surreal. Even the most diehard Google fans I know will readily admit their execution is sloppy and often very cheap. Google makes up in volume and pseudo-free stuff what it lacks in quality and broader customer satisfaction.

I normally would not go to the trouble of posting this sort of response, and I am sorry you are having problems. Beyond that though, and it is why I am posting, I am really tired of people making the obligatory "I love but..." and "I want to love but..." comments here (or on any forum for that matter). You don't want to love it, you want to complain about it. That is also just fine. You can hate it for all it really matters to anyone here. It would be nice though if people would just drop the tortured soul stuff, acknowledge their bias (and complaints) and move forward. You don't have to like it, or any product. You can also do so here and elsewhere to your heart's content - I am not one of those people who think problems should be downplayed or hidden in avocational forums. I just wish people would drop the "I am so conflicted" claims and just say they are unhappy....

I'm not going to even give any time to this. You just responded like everyone that gets defensive and cannot handle when someone had real legit concerns.

I don't drop 1500 on stuff I don't want to like. Jeez. Read.

 

[spasell]

That behavior is quite normal. If you open 2 Metro apps side by side and you close on, the half of the screen will become blue and a swipe from the left brings the desktop or the next app into this half.

If you open a second Metro app automatically, like IE by clicking a link in Tapatalk, the screen will split for both apps. If you close the opened app, in our example IE, the first app will resize automatically to fullscreen. No need for panic.

That's just it..it doesn't resize. It just keeps half the screen solid blue. I have to hit the windows button every time I exit one of the two apps.

 

[pgg101]

The only issue I have is the lack of an insert key, and the fact that Skype on my BlackBerry works better than Skype on SP3.

Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android on a BlackBerry Z30

 

[WillysJeepMan]

I really really really want to LOVE my SP3...I really do.

No really...I REALLY do. But all I can say is that I currently "like" it.

(... snipped...)

I WANT to love this SP3. I STILL want to love it. But sadly, I just "like" it right now and "like" is getting harder week by week.

Ugh

I empathize with you. I felt (and to a certain extent, still do) that way about he RT-based Surface devices. I wanted to be delighted with them and have them replace my iPad. They fell significantly short.

It is a difficult concept for many to grasp, but sometimes the most ardent supporters will point out weaknesses with the hope that they'll be addressed and the product strengthened. Instead, that's replaced by mutual back-patting and a chorus of "Microsoft r0x!"

Any deficiency is immediately dismissed as:
- trolls gonna troll
- an insignificant issue that is blown out of proportion
- I don't (experience that issue) therefore it doesn't (exist)
- unreasonable expectations
- I'm accepting it so you should too

This type of behavior isn't unique to Microsoft consumers. It's true for Apple. Google as well. But it's sad nonetheless.

 

[Bill Mitchell]

I do not experience the issues the OP is complaining of. That doesn't mean I believe he is "imagining" things. One thing I have learned about the SP3 in my short experience with it. There are outstanding units (such as the one on which I am now typing), and there are lemons (such as the one I returned to get this one).

In my case the problem was a yellow smudge down the left hand edge of the screen and some pretty terrible light bleed from the top right corner. IMHO these issue both stem from poorly applied adhesive. My current unit has very low light bleed and no yellow streak. It really just comes down to luck as others with the same manufacturing lot mine has have experienced these issues.

So just as those with good units should not claim those with problems are "nuts", those with problems should not paint the product with a broad brush as defective simply because they have a "lemon".

 

[Tsang Fai]

I really really really want to LOVE my SP3...I really do.

No really...I REALLY do. But all I can say is that I currently "like" it.

I loved my MacAir, all except the screen and eventually middling battery. I went from Love to Like because of that.

I loved my Note 10.1 2014 edition. Except after a year that too had battery issues. But I at least started and had LOVE for months and months.

Sadly, I loved my SP3 for all of 1 week. And then, bug after bug after bug after bug. Don't get me wrong, I know products will have issues and good companies jump all over them to fix them. But let's be real here people. The SP3 is NOT a new product. Screen size does not make this a new product. This is a 3rd Gen Surface Pro device with a bigger screen. Period.

So, what does that say about Microsoft that they simply cannot get it right out of the box on the 3rd try? I don't get it!

So, I've had keyboard connectivity wild jumping around the screen cursor issues.
I've had wifi connectivity issues that seem to STILL not be solved properly.
Overheating during even the smallest and less taxing of task.
Wake up issues
Yellowing effect on the left side of the screen problems (and I've gotten my 3rd machine and "seems" to be fixed "for now")
OneNote crashing when writing notes
Pen press to instant open not working
Locking me out when using OneNote and coming back from sleeping

And now? Well, now after the latest update, when I am in Metro IE, and using the side by side "Snap screen" or whatever the hell they are calling it these days, when I close one of the two I have open, the screen stays half open and half empty blue. Yup. Used to be when you closed an app when running two, the other one would just take up the entire screen.

But nope. Not anymore.

I cannot begin to tell you how all these things add up and pile up and you cannot help but say to yourself "What in the heck did I just drop $1500 on", especially when you have to get hardware replacements or continually search and scour the web for help.

So, yeah, fanboys, go ahead and rip me for complaining. Tell me to go back to Apple or Android or whomever because I am lodging complaints since apparently, having a complaint is an issue (especially when everyone else is also in the same boat). Yell and scream and get it out there. I'm an ignorant user and shouldn't have spent the $$ on this if I didn't expect ____ and _____ and _____ to happen.

Meanwhile, we sit and wonder why Apple and Google kick the crap out of the competition, particularly Apple, when it comes to designing and selling products that people fall in love with.

I WANT to love this SP3. I STILL want to love it. But sadly, I just "like" it right now and "like" is getting harder week by week.

Ugh

What you listed out here are not well-known issues or just minor issues.

I wonder why all these odd things happen to your SP3 TOGETHER???

It is hard to believe you are experiencing all the strange problems. And it seems that you are exaggerating the seriousness of the matters.

We can read many users happy with the SP3 here. They really love the device. The reasons why they love it are concrete.

I really love my sp3. It is a non-Apple device that I am proud of using it, proud of introducing to my friends, proud of telling people why it is a great device.

 

[tgp]

What you listed out here are not well-known issues or just minor issues.

I wonder why all these odd things happen to your SP3 TOGETHER???

It is hard to believe you are experiencing all the strange problems. And it seems that you are exaggerating the seriousness of the matters.

We can read many users happy with the SP3 here. They really love the device. The reasons why they love it are concrete.

I really love my sp3. It is a non-Apple device that I am proud of using it, proud of introducing to my friends, proud of telling people why it is a great device.

Excellent advice! Now apply it to #bendgate.

 

[Bill Mitchell]

The only issue I have is the lack of an insert key, and the fact that Skype on my BlackBerry works better than Skype on SP3.

Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android on a BlackBerry Z30

That's easily solved. Just download an app called "MapKeyboard" and map one of your unused function buttons to "insert". I use F12.

 

[spasell]

What you listed out here are not well-known issues or just minor issues.

I wonder why all these odd things happen to your SP3 TOGETHER???

It is hard to believe you are experiencing all the strange problems. And it seems that you are exaggerating the seriousness of the matters.

We can read many users happy with the SP3 here. They really love the device. The reasons why they love it are concrete.

I really love my sp3. It is a non-Apple device that I am proud of using it, proud of introducing to my friends, proud of telling people why it is a great device.

Again, you are no different than all the other fanboys that ignore those who have legit concerns. And if that is the case, fine. That is the reason why people cannot STAND certain companies.

I didn't "make it up". My list of things are not minor. Like Bill said, I had that yellow light streak down the left side of my machine and like Bill, I returned it and don't have that issue, but have others.

Period.

I don't make stuff up because I don't have time, in my profession, to spend it trying to solve issues by asking people for thoughts on Problem A, B, C, D, etc. I need to be PRODUCTIVE.

This isn't a laptop I use for gaming or fooling around. I suspect that most people are the same as I. Microsoft wants to play in the space where they manufacture their own devices, than they better pay attention to people like me.

 

[crystal_planet]

Again, you are no different than all the other fanboys that ignore those who have legit concerns. And if that is the case, fine. That is the reason why people cannot STAND certain companies.

I didn't "make it up". My list of things are not minor. Like Bill said, I had that yellow light streak down the left side of my machine and like Bill, I returned it and don't have that issue, but have others.

Period.

I don't make stuff up because I don't have time, in my profession, to spend it trying to solve issues by asking people for thoughts on Problem A, B, C, D, etc. I need to be PRODUCTIVE.

This isn't a laptop I use for gaming or fooling around. I suspect that most people are the same as I. Microsoft wants to play in the space where they manufacture their own devices, than they better pay attention to people like me.

I have no doubt that your concerns are legitimate, and based on your writings, perhaps it is best for you to find a device better suited to your needs.

As far as fanboyism - well you'll get that on any site. My friend has an iPad that died after a year and a half of gentle use. She is pretty disappointed with the experience, but she realizes that her experience is not the norm, as most people have a different experience. If she went on iMore to complain, I'm sure she'd be inundated with a chorus of "Mine is great. It must be just you."

Also, I'm not sure what reaction you are hoping for here. It's not like Satya Nadella is a moderator here and monitors threads like these.

 

[Bill Mitchell]

Now going on a week since returning my "flawed" SP3 i5 for a newer factory run model. So far no issues of any kind at all. It really is a lotto with these devices. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes no matter how you try you keep getting lemons. Based upon my experience, I am guessing that roughly 10% of any new device will be a lemon. SP3 uses so much glue in its design, I believe that is the primary commonality for issues since glue application is not as homogeneous as screws, nuts and bolts.

I know why MS uses glue - they don't want you opening and upgrading your SP3 on your own with parts far cheaper than what they offer. But this is also the cause of most problems.

 

[MBytes]

I know why MS uses glue - they don't want you opening and upgrading your SP3 on your own with parts far cheaper than what they offer. But this is also the cause of most problems.

I don't think that is the reason. Because everything, beside the SSD, is soldered on in the Surface Pro line.
And even then the SSD Microsoft uses, isn't the cheap crap. It is the fast ultra low power ones, and also uses MLC synchronous based nands (if I am not mistaken), which costs a lot more. Oh and, it is on mSATA format, not a normal 2.5inch SSD size, so costs also more.

So I think the reason is that:
Screws requires space. In order to achieve thinness, they use glue. Another point is that glue can be flexible. So when the device drop, the device can flex with the vibration of the shock and not break. Sure you COULD figure out a way to do it with screws, but it is a lot harder, and costly (R&D cost), and requires space in the device. Maybe the Surface Pro 4 will have less of it.

If ti does have a screw to open, it would indeed mean less scratched up Surface Pro's that people will get from warranty replacements, as it will be easier to service.

 

[itsJuicy]

SP3 is a great piece of hardware but unfortunately it has it's own problems.
I have mine since release and I hardly heard the fans.
There are some issues with the software but I did not notice any of yours. I had a problem after updating the OS....long story short...I had to restore to a 6 days old restore point to get it to work again (it was just stuck on login screen). I was frustrated as I did not now how to restore. It turns out you had to press shift key and select restart in recovery. The option will not show, unless you press the shift key.
As with your problems, I would check if there is no app that is causing the problems you have.....It might sound sily, but I can not think of something else.