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30 day is all it took to break the glass

m06w41

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Fairly robust Surface Pro 3 user. I used a SP2 and my daughter uses an SP1 for school.

Replaced my work laptop with a Surface Pro 3 just over a month ago and found it incredibly flexible and it dropped right into the workflow I always wanted with my laptop.

It completely integrated into my work life through Office 2013, OneNote and OneDrive for business. It allowed me remarkable capabilities to simply remove the paper from my life...the various notebooks for different projects and different things going on at the office. I travel a few times a month and the SP3 made my work life so much more seamlessly integrated. I took copious notes using OneNote metro all the time. When I say I haven't used a notebook in the past 2 weeks for anything, that means everything I've written down has been in OneNote. It's been a fantastic little piece of hardware.

I did not have a folio nor a sleeve yet. When moving around I had it in my laptop briefcase, it it's one special section and was simply looking for a folio that would work...Maroo was the preferred one, but they are on back order so I've been simply waiting. My use of the SP3 was kind of what I would classify as normal, non-abusive and what it seems the tablet was designed for.

Today, though, was a bummer.

I picked up the SP3 out of the keyboard, separated them as normal and walked to a meeting. 20 feet. Held it in a manner that you would hold a notebook. The same way I've been holding the darned thing for a month, same thing I did with my SP2...nothing unusual, nothing unique. 30 seconds later when I went to log into the SP3, this had occurred: http://1drv.ms/1qau9qm

The break originated around the microphone, as you can see. As if pressure in that area either finally caused it to break or it was a weak area to begin with and normal use just exposed this inherent weakness.

I'm still a little stunned actually because I had really come to rely on it. Microsoft regular warranty doesn't cover it the additional $149 extended warranty does cover 2 screen breaks for an additional $50 fee. The cost isn't the problem really...it's being without it for the next couple of weeks (I hope that's all it takes)...and my concern is that somehow it will not come back in immaculate condition...or that this is a bigger problem.
 
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I think they just swap your Surface out for a new or refurbished one. They're no fixing this puppy. I'm sure whatever you get will be in equal or better condition than your existing unit. Well hopefully better since you have a broken screen. Sorry about that!
 
Yeah that totally blows, sorry to hear about it. I feel your pain about being without it for a while, practically impossible to do sometimes it seems.

That's why I bought Complete for mine though. If it happens to me in 6 months or whatever... it will be painful to be without my SP3 during the exchange, but at least I'll only be out $50. No way could I afford to replace the whole thing.
 
That sucks. It appears that the crack started from a sharp point of impact. Do you have a type cover for it?
 
I have the Keyboard cover for it, but it wasn't on there when I picked it up. It was just resting against the inside of my arm like you would hold a magazine or a newspaper.

But yep, it shattered right around what I assume is one of the weakest points on the screen, the hole for the mic and camera.
 
Yeah that totally blows, sorry to hear about it. I feel your pain about being without it for a while, practically impossible to do sometimes it seems.

That's why I bought Complete for mine though. If it happens to me in 6 months or whatever... it will be painful to be without my SP3 during the exchange, but at least I'll only be out $50. No way could I afford to replace the whole thing.
Wow! I'm really concerned.

I'm still kind of in shock about it Frank.

I know there are a ton of factors that could have come into play and certainly admit a folio probably would have remove most if not all of them. The process you'd go through to grab, pick up, move the SP3 in a folio would just be different, but quite frankly I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.

Ah well...hope the replacement comes soon...my advice it so buy something and keep it in there all the time.
 
Damn, I'm really sorry to hear what happened. That is frustrating. It is my understanding if you purchased the extended warranty, they will just give you a new one out of stock if they have it in stock. I'm assuming you purchased it from a local brick & mortar store. Some crazy thing like that is exactly why I always purchase the extended warranty for my Surfaces.
 
Sorry, but it's not clear to me what actually happened. Did you have your fingers over the microphone hole or were they on the opposite side? Were you gripping it or squeezing it in any way at or near the microphone hole or did it just spontaneously shatter?

I'm just wondering if there is some way that we should avoid holding the thing.
 
There was a TV news reporter that did a story recently on that and these an outfit that will do these kind of repairs. unfortunately I can't remember the name right now... just mentioning it in case anyone else saw it.
 
Sorry, but it's not clear to me what actually happened. Did you have your fingers over the microphone hole or were they on the opposite side? Were you gripping it or squeezing it in any way at or near the microphone hole or did it just spontaneously shatter?

I'm just wondering if there is some way that we should avoid holding the thing.
+1, Im curious if it broke in your case or while you were holding it.
 
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