Surface bites the dust.... Then swallows! ;) - Australian experience.

[gauge41]

I just wanted to pop in and share with you an experience I had with the Surface regarding its build quality.
I've been travelling throughout the Northern Territory, Australia as part of my work and occasionally camped along the highways for the night.

On one of these occasions, on the Barkley HWY, I placed the Surface, which was in its travel slip on the passenger side of the bonnet / wind shield of the Troopie I was driving; The door was locked so I placed it there to free my hands whilst I searched of the keys. Within the seconds it took to find the keys, I'd already forgotten the tablet.

I packed the rest of my gear in the car and headed out. Now, I must say that I left at 4am, so it's still dark. Thus not being able to see what should have been quite obvious as I looked over the bullbar.
In the Northern Territory, the Barkley HWY and the Stuart HWY hold 130km speed limits (~80mph)....
I was into the trip not 10mins when I heard a loud impact on the passenger side mirror. Thinking it was wildlife, as is extremely common in the region, I continued on to the Stuart Hwy some 400kms (~248miles) with my personal mix of beats seeing me awake for the trip.
I completed the first leg and was standing at the fuel bowser at ThreeWays, Stuart HWY. Lost in thought and staring at the thousands of bugs splattered against the bonnet and windshield it ALL came flooding back to me... Placing the tablet on the bonnet and the loud impact of the bird/critter I presumably hit at high speed...... My Surface had bit the dust and hard......

I got that gut wrenching feeling you get when you lost something expensive and close to you... and you just know it's scattered in a thousand pieces across the desert.
Long story short I got in contact with the Police at Avon Downs along the Barkly Highway. They kindly did patrol and found it lying in the red stony dirt...

I've added pictures of the device as it is now, when I returned home. Given it was in its slip, I still cant praise the quality enough considering the speed of impact, the striking and tumbling as it hit the rough ground at 130kms an hour. Can only imagine how another tablet would fair if placed in a similar predicament!

Anyway, extremely impressed with the ruggedness and quality of this thing. Good job to the boys and girls at MS!
Saved me $$$ that's for sure :wink:

 

[Siah1214]

It's really the luck of the draw. I had one fly off of a golf cart, skid across some concrete, and the screen shattered and the left side was dead. Fortunately I'd gotten the accidental damage warranty so I got a new one.

 

[berty6294]

Reminds me of my first experience loosing my Surface off my roof! http://forums.windowscentral.com/surface-windows-rt/202040-surface-run-over-car.html

(don't do it a second time.. lol)

 

[Visspui]

Is your company looking to hire anyone else with a surface? I'm in Canada now, but i'll fly over

 

[AgentTheGreat]