Hardware revisions and end of manufacturing

[mueller_seb]

Hi everyone,

I've just purchased a new SP3 online but haven't received it yet.
There are some indicators that is been in stock for a very long time (other buyers got devices with absolutely empty batteries, dusty packings and still Windows 8.1 as installed OS).
Now I'm a little bit worrying that I will get a very early manufactured device of old hardware revision and impaired battery performance due to the long time in stock.
So coming to the point:
- Where there hardware revisions during the manufacturing period?
- Is the SP3 outdated? When did the production end? What are the latest LOT Numbers?

Thanks for your answers!

 

[leeshor]

Welcome to the forum

I can partially answer your questions. The SP3s are previous generation units that probably haven't been manufactured since at least October of last year. However, there are still brand new ones in stock and still being sold. I wouldn't worry much about the battery issue so long as you give it a good long charge before using it the first time. If it is new, and there's no reason to think it isn't, your warranty starts when you register it. I also suggest that after applying all updates that you upgrade it to Windows 10 before you start installing anything. That assume you don't care much for 8.1.

 

[jnjroach]

Hi everyone,

I've just purchased a new SP3 online but haven't received it yet.
There are some indicators that is been in stock for a very long time (other buyers got devices with absolutely empty batteries, dusty packings and still Windows 8.1 as installed OS).
Now I'm a little bit worrying that I will get a very early manufactured device of old hardware revision and impaired battery performance due to the long time in stock.
So coming to the point:
- Where there hardware revisions during the manufacturing period?
- Is the SP3 outdated? When did the production end? What are the latest LOT Numbers?

Thanks for your answers!

You can check by registering your SP3 via the S/N and it will tell you all of the info you are requesting....

 

[Jay Marino]

Don't worry about things that haven't happened yet.
I have had two SP3s. One had terrible battery issues and then get the phantom touches.
I got a refurbished one. I also worried that I got one with new problems.
However, knock on wood, it's the best device I have owned.

 

[Px455]

I would not worry too much unless something is wrong with the unit. At worst, the oldest SP3s are still only 2 years old. Most likely what you are getting will be much newer than that.

A fully empty battery does not mean a lot. LiPo cells still lose a charge over time without load, and while a full discharge of an unprotected LiPo cell can ruin the battery, modern computers have various safeguards to protect this from happening. The reason virtually no LiPo devices ship with a full charge is because a LiPo battery is at its greatest point of stress under a full charge. Storing the battery at a lower voltage is healthy where as storing at full charge (or zero charge) is placing unnecessary stress on the battery. When you get the unit, determining battery health is a pretty simple process.

Most SP3's are going to have Windows 8 still. Many new refurbished SP3 units still have 8.

When you get the unit, you can plug in the SN to Microsoft's support page and check out information related to warranty...from that information, you could probably estimate the production date. If nothing else, you can ensure you still have a full active warranty. You could also check the computer to see what date the applications and OS was installed.

 

[mueller_seb]

Thanks guys! You're right, it was not worth worrying, I've got a completely other kind of trouble... The fan noise is terrible, it's buzzing and rattling like a 10 year old laptop. I think the bearing is defective.
I will open another thread for this issue.