Screen wobbling is a REAL issue!

[ttsoldier]

Can someone make a video of this "wobble" ?

Come on guys.. It can't be that bad...

 

[taymur]

I see a few people mentioning that this is a mistake or design/manufacture problem with the Surface Book and that they'll wait for it to be fixed in the next generation but to me it looks more like a trade off that had to be made based on the way MS wanted it to work and the technology & engineering they had to make it happen. Meaning that they may not be able to 'fix' it. I'm sure they can refine it over time or replace it with a different design (that has it's own, different, trade offs) but I don't know if it can be fixed to work exactly the same without the wobble.

Like the kickstand on the SP1 that had 2 fixed positions. This issue was 'fixed' in the SP3 with a new hinge that gave a variable kickstand BUT that has different trade offs, namely the kickstand is no longer as 'solid' and can slip back over time or if you put enough pressure on the screen (e.g. if using the pen to draw). Most people (including me) prefer this trade off but my point is that the SP1 kickstand wasn't faulty or designed poorly but rather built with a slightly different goal and within the technical constraints of the time.

you are correct, but i have a surface 2, and i use it like a tent all the time with the type cover. while on my couch, the surface stays very stable while working on it.

another device that i have dell 7000 series, has the same angles of the surfacebook, i only use it as a laptop, and it keeps on wobbling when touched, even with very little pressure.

 

[Erik Talbert]

I really don't see it? I can bang and shake the system and get no screen wobble, it wobbles some when I touch the screen but that's the same for every touch screen ever. Are people really having it wobble from standard typing and such?

 

[Razor237xp]

I played a game for hours with keyboard and external mouse with head phones plugged in and the screen didn't move at least that I could notice .... Now I think the real design flaw is the location of the headphone jack or the lack of a second one in the base

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[enixon]

I played a game for hours with keyboard and external mouse with head phones plugged in and the screen didn't move at least that I could notice .... Now I think the real design flaw is the location of the headphone jack or the lack of a second one in the base

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

Yes! I went to play some CS:GO today and I go to plug in my headphones and couldn't find where to plug them in at all! It's on the top of the clipboard part...lol

 

[jmerrey]

I'm no engineer, but it seems like the wobble is more related to the weight of the screen/clip board as opposed to the hinge. That said, after demoing a unit at the MS store, it doesn't seem to be as wobbly as I expected. Maybe I'm using too light a touch?

 

[enixon]

I'm no engineer, but it seems like the wobble is more related to the weight of the screen/clip board as opposed to the hinge. That said, after demoing a unit at the MS store, it doesn't seem to be as wobbly as I expected. Maybe I'm using too light a touch?

So you mean you aren't jamming your finger on the touch screen? You're touching it light enough to register a press, but not hard enough to break the screen? So you are using it correctly? I've had one the past two days. It doesn't even wobble when I press the screen, it just simply bounces back.

 

[DonBakke]

I'm no engineer, but it seems like the wobble is more related to the weight of the screen/clip board as opposed to the hinge. That said, after demoing a unit at the MS store, it doesn't seem to be as wobbly as I expected. Maybe I'm using too light a touch?

Same for me. I went to the local store and gave it a field test, both on a hard surface and on my lap. No wobble when just used normally. The wobble is only noticeable when I am moving the device around while holding the base. I agree that the wobble is more pronounced than other devices because of the weight of the clipboard. So, not seeing anything that would bother me with routine use I picked it up. So far, other than the other problems reported such as BSOD and power problems, I have not regretted the purchase.

 

[Micropel]

No wobble noticed in use of mines and I've been using mines every day since purchase.
Than again I only touch the screen when using Illustrator and Photoshop in creative mode or clipboard mode.

 

[ccpopham]

I haven't noticed a wobble of course I have used a very wide assortment of laptops and tablet. Another reason that some notice a wobble could be the weight. Everyone wants a lightweight beast machine, so when it gets light, things are going to move a little.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[john_ferrier]

Searching phrase such as "surface book wobble", "surface book wobbling", "surface book wobbly" etc. you have some videos on youtuble.

 

[JaimitoFrog]

If someone tells you that you have a very round head, suddenly you're going to fixate on how round your head is, and it will bother you.

If some moron tech reviewer hadn't mentioned it, no one would have noticed it. I've been using my SB now for a week and I never even think about wobble unless I'm reading a review or forum in which someone decides to mention it.

Exactly.

I don't have a Macbook air, but my 13" macbook pro has no wobble AT ALL.

Does the mac screen detach or has a touch screen? no? u sure? maybe it is defective.

 

[anon(4054009)]

To experience screen wobble check out HP 2 in 1's. My SB screen moves but it is not a wobble with normal use. If I do a sharp poke at the screen then quickly remove my finger then yes there is wobble. Why someone would poke the screen like this makes no sense to me and is not how I use a touch screen. If this is a problem for anyone don't buy it, but to call it a design flaw is at bit dramatic.

 

[Larry Piercy]

I think the glossy screen makes it more apparent than it would be otherwise. Also people are focused on the unique hinge so they poke and test it, not something they will do once they own and use it. My friend just bought a Lenovo Ultrabook and his screen has the same "wobble". Its nothing that bothers either of us.

My biggest issue is that the laptop uses battery when in sleep and gets hot. The fan goes into overdrive. I hope that is fixed soon. I don't even care if they disable the live connect( or whatever its called). I get 100s of emails a day and it only takes a few seconds to update anyway.

 

[EnemiesInTheEnd]

I was actually surprised at how little wobble there is with my Surface Book. The demo Surface Books I've played with had screen wobble, but the one I was given is pretty solid.

 

[Chris Chan6]

I have had no issues with slipping of the SP3 kickstand, and I use the pen almost all the time. Even if it was a design decision not to have one in the Surface Book, MS could have (or still could) offer some kind of portable, attachable stand to steady the screen in laptop mode. I find it very annoying in an otherwise great device. I can't flip it over because I need the keyboard. Someone mentioned the demo devices he used had more wobble than the one he actually got; if true that would be better news.

 

[Migi2015]

To the market that matters(journalists) the wobble issue is deal-breaking. Joanna Stern noted this in her review.

 

[Migi2015]

I think the glossy screen makes it more apparent than it would be otherwise. Also people are focused on the unique hinge so they poke and test it, not something they will do once they own and use it. My friend just bought a Lenovo Ultrabook and his screen has the same "wobble". Its nothing that bothers either of us.

My biggest issue is that the laptop uses battery when in sleep and gets hot. The fan goes into overdrive. I hope that is fixed soon. I don't even care if they disable the live connect( or whatever its called). I get 100s of emails a day and it only takes a few seconds to update anyway.

That's not true. I did a test with my Macbook Air and it had minimal wobble while typing. Especially it's an issue since they made it a touch-screen and want you to TOUCH it, it will wobble like crazy if you do that on a SB.

 

[jmerrey]

After a month of use, including on my lap, on a desk, etc, I have to say the wobble has been no problem for me. Does it wobble slightly when I use tap the screen with my finger? Yes. But it's so slight, I don't notice. If I go to the MS store and push on the screen hard, it probably looks bad. After real world usage, it's a non-issue. YMMV

 

[worwig]

That's not true. I did a test with my Macbook Air and it had minimal wobble while typing. Especially it's an issue since they made it a touch-screen and want you to TOUCH it, it will wobble like crazy if you do that on a SB.

Mine doesn't.

I'm using mine here, on my lap, sitting on top of a big mushy soft pillow (a neck injury keeps me from looking down too far). Even on that soft surface there is no noticeable screen wobble. If I lean it way back, it starts to become obvious that there is weight on the top. But that is the price for a removable screen.