What's new

I was loving the Surface Book, but...

Migi

Member
I don't think anyone should be using a SP4/Surface Book as a business device for the next 6 months. Use something that is proven, like anything else running under Windows 8.1.
 

mkenny28

New Member
I don't think anyone should be using a SP4/Surface Book as a business device for the next 6 months. Use something that is proven, like anything else running under Windows 8.1.
I use my Surface Book as my daily driver at both my office and my home perfectly fine.
 

cmatvchuk

New Member
I don't think anyone should be using a SP4/Surface Book as a business device for the next 6 months. Use something that is proven, like anything else running under Windows 8.1.

Really. We have 41 of them deployed and they are amazing devices that we couldn't be more pleased.
 

JBCF

Member
I've been using my Surface Book since the 27th of October as my sole business device. Given it a great workout on a couple of time sensitive projects and despite a few instances of flakiness it's done a fabulous job.

Migi, I'm new to this forum but I've seen a few of your posts since the Book came out and you seem to be one part "the sky is falling" Chicken Little and one part Eeyore! New initiatives in technology come with issues. In 1985 I was working on a cassette drive IBM PC1 and a Tandy 100 and along the road I've been an early adopter of a lot of new tech. Part of any buying decision involves determining if the growing pains that come along with early adoption are something you are willing to live with in order to reap the benefits of the new features. The Surface Book is a device for optimists, people who are willing to live and work and try something new. Anyone who expects perfection in a box should stay in a safety zone that doesn't extend beyond last year's tech from Dell or HP.
 

cmatvchuk

New Member
"Anyone who expects perfection in a box should stay in a safety zone that doesn't extend beyond last year's tech from Dell or HP."

Totally Agree.
 
OP
M

mcsenerd

Active Member
Look... I know what I'm getting into with the first gen of a new product. That's what I get from being an early adopter nerd :) Every single of one of the Surface Pros that I have had various issues (typically software/firmware related) at launch. I "get" that you've got the "everything in our 5,000 units is perfect"-camp and I "get" that you've got the "OMG! This thing is like the computing equivalent of an Ebola infection!"-camp. I'm actually neither... It's a piece of tech made by humans...therefore it's flawed. Period. There hasn't been a perfect device made yet and I wasn't assuming that the Surface Book was gonna be the first. But...It has been everything for me that I thought it would be: fast, beautiful, functional, comfortable, and it fits into my preferred workflow better than the Surface Pro line did, even with their incrementally improving kickstands. Anyway, for what it's worth...I remember when Apple first debuted the dual switching graphics crud...they had quite a bit of snafus there too. They eventually worked them out and I am sure that MS/Intel/Nvidia will get theirs taken care of in time too. For what it's worth, I just got my timings down, exported the presentation as a video with timings set, and at presentation time...I persuasively convinced the audience to table their questions for the end of my preso, and all was good! I look at it like this...at least it forced me to keep my pace up and not get off-topic! :D
 

Migi

Member
Really. We have 41 of them deployed and they are amazing devices that we couldn't be more pleased.

How does that jive with the threads on Window Central and Reddit where dozens of people are reporting massive amounts of problems with this device? I'm supposed to believe all 41 of them have been put through their paces and have had 0 freezes/crashes/BSODs? That is an absolute lie based on what we've heard so far from reviewers and those other sources. The very first reviewer Tom Warren had 5 BSODs on day 1.
 

leeshor

Well-Known Member
How does that jive with the threads on Window Central and Reddit where dozens of people are reporting massive amounts of problems with this device? I'm supposed to believe all 41 of them have been put through their paces and have had 0 freezes/crashes/BSODs? That is an absolute lie based on what we've heard so far from reviewers and those other sources. The very first reviewer Tom Warren had 5 BSODs on day 1.

All you seem to be hearing from are those with problems because those without problems aren't generally reporting anything. I have had 4 Surface Pro 4s come through my office and not one had any problems, (none on day 1). 3 of those 4 are now in the hands of my customers and nobody has complained yet. I was so impressed the 4th is one I got for myself.

A good friend who is an IT director for a software company here in Atlanta has around 30 Surface units and insists he hasn't had one issue, half on Windows 10, none Pro 4 yet, but he does have 2 Surface Books and says he couldn't be happier.
 

Migi

Member
All you seem to be hearing from are those with problems because those without problems aren't generally reporting anything. I have had 4 Surface Pro 4s come through my office and not one had any problems, (none on day 1). 3 of those 4 are now in the hands of my customers and nobody has complained yet. I was so impressed the 4th is one I got for myself.

A good friend who is an IT director for a software company here in Atlanta has around 30 Surface units and insists he hasn't had one issue, half on Windows 10, none Pro 4 yet, but he does have 2 Surface Books and says he couldn't be happier.

If that's so, then why was MS in such a RUSH to get that firmware update, "out of band" to Surface owners?
 

cmatvchuk

New Member
We have had some issues that where resolved. Not mass failure and no BSOD's. Not really sure what to tell you. Occasional NVidia driver reset issue and several have reported the issue with Edge locking up, but beyond that not much to indicate to the negative. We are patched up and moving along swimmingly. We are preparing to deploy another 12 when they come in this next week. My SOP for my team is wipe and install fresh with min. 4 hour burn after full load. Perhaps the next batch may have more or less issues.

Dozens of people is a small sample size. Perhaps you should of realized that. The total population of systems out is far greater. My Team as well as the Business Operations is very pleased with the device, even if their is a minor glitch from time to time, which is rare.

If you aren't willing to work on the edge, perhaps you should consider staying on window7 standard machines and check back in a 6-12 months.

I am an IT Director and Systems are what I manage for a living. I am not sure if you are even an IT Professional, or just an irritated MS Customer, by your tone and the way your responses are phrased I would assume just an irritated customer.
 

leeshor

Well-Known Member
@Migi They aren't just sending those updates out to Surface owners. There is no such thing as out of band updates any more. It's whenever they feel like it. I get those on my desktops too. My customers who have upgraded also get them, they have been warned.
 
Top