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I've Changed My Mind: The SP4 is Terrible

Votality

Member
I've experienced a video driver crash or two, but I'd hardly call that an issue for me. Screen flashes black for a second, and then I carry on as normal. And In 2 years I have never once done a 2 finger reset. I always shut my surfaces down as opposed to putting them into sleep, so never had to worry about any wake-up bugs (such as not waking up, requiring a reset, or waking up in a bag and draining the battery). I will add though that my surface has a very specific use case, and doesn't really get used for anything more (chrome+office). Most bugs I come across are just small things due to being on the fast track insider program.

There are certainly bugs, but not things I'd consider an issue, in that they do not effect my usage. For instance the current build I am on, tablet mode doesn't work, but it doesn't present itself as an issue for me and I can keep on working just fine. So while bugs do not present themselves as issues to me, to others they may. I won't deny that MS need to work on giving everyone the same (good) experience. It can be hit and miss as this thread shows, but when they work, they are wonderfully reliable.

You must be lucky, i didn't use my sp4 for the first 4 months completely unusable due to video driver crashes.
 

mwilson

Member
I've had my SP4 since it came out last year, and it recently became my only computer at work, replacing a 2014 iMac since that one was overkill for my kind of work, and this way I gained portability. In the last 10 months or so with my SP4, I've had to force reboot via the hardware buttons several times, pretty much in line or maybe just a tad less than my iMac, which also froze a few times. At home I have a retina iMac, and a 2015 MPB, which also require a force reboot every now and then. Just like my iPhone, routers, smart TVs, come to think of. I put all of these down to software issues, be it OS or application level, and don't lose sleep over such. Considering they are all consumer-level devices, I deem a few hard resets a year in line with expectations. At work, we use enterprise and carrier equipment which answer to higher standards, but they also cost, look, and feel as such - in other words, don't appeal to me. I'd gladly trade off a few resets for size and convenience.

I guess where I'm going with this is to say that some issues are to be expected, while too many issues would likely indicate a hardware problem. I must be fortunate to not encounter the issues reported by the OP.

Edit: to specify my work setup - SP4 (i7, 16GB RAM), dock, 34" 4k external monitor (21:9 format), external keyboard and wacom tablet. Zero compatibility issues.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
What do "OOB" and "for the most part" mean?
As Kristal said - OOB = Out of the Box,

For the most part = I configured the On Screen Keyboard to open automatically when not using Tablet Mode, is really the only modifications I've made beyond the HOST File....
 
Windows - even Win10 - is still Windows and the registry is still there as well. For casual or power users both I highly recommend standard, open source tools like CCleaner and Wise Disk Cleaner, and using them on a regular basis, both the disk and registry clean-up.

Just my tuppence.
 

clouds5

New Member
Coming from an android tablet it's a revelation to have windows again. There's a solution for everything! Loving it so far.
 

DavidZ

Active Member
At the office:

Ethernet port. Vs wireless internet...... no comparison.
Frees up the desktop for another employee..
multi monitor setup.
Seems to me that you could have just gotten another desktop for work. If I understand your situation correctly, you have dual monitors sitting unused when you're not there. Just add a desktop and you have another computer that someone else can use when you're away. That way you wouldn't have to dick around with the flakey dock thing.

Regarding wired vs. Wireless, I presume you could just add a USB/Ethernet dongle.
 

eholbik

New Member
Seems to me that you could have just gotten another desktop for work. If I understand your situation correctly, you have dual monitors sitting unused when you're not there. Just add a desktop and you have another computer that someone else can use when you're away. That way you wouldn't have to dick around with the flakey dock thing.

Regarding wired vs. Wireless, I presume you could just add a USB/Ethernet dongle.

Why would i add another desktop? No. i travel for my work.
You realize there is only 1 USB on the S4 right?

My office setup is perfect and clean now. 2 monitors , 1 surface dock. Bluetooth mouse & keyboard. The 2 monitors display programs, ms office and web access. I use the S4 screen like a notebook by writing my daily notes on the Onenote program.

Now that the dock is working properly-- such an upgrade. The S4 continues to have its minor problems & issues... but overall i would not change this setup/machine now. As a fast ring user of Windows 10-- sometimes i don't know if the problem is the S4 or just the new Windows build itself... but now its all minor stuff that occurs... does not hinder my experience.





Sent from mTalk
 
OP
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Philtastic

Active Member
After the latest Windows 10 major updates, I've found my SP4 working as I'd expect it should. I even tested putting it to sleep and then removing the power cord. It still wakes up immediately after pulling the plug but seems to go back to and stays asleep during my commute home. The only issue that I've run into is the keyboard and/or touch not working after waking it from sleep which I've fixed by disconnecting/reconnecting the keyboard cover or going back and forth between portrait and landscape mode to restore touch.

The main problem that I've raised in this thread, however, is that I'm not confident that this will last given past history. How many weeks until Microsoft breaks something else again? I guess we'll find out.
 
After the latest Windows 10 major updates, I've found my SP4 working as I'd expect it should. I even tested putting it to sleep and then removing the power cord. It still wakes up immediately after pulling the plug but seems to go back to and stays asleep during my commute home. The only issue that I've run into is the keyboard and/or touch not working after waking it from sleep which I've fixed by disconnecting/reconnecting the keyboard cover or going back and forth between portrait and landscape mode to restore touch.

The main problem that I've raised in this thread, however, is that I'm not confident that this will last given past history. How many weeks until Microsoft breaks something else again? I guess we'll find out.

When you say "putting it to sleep" are you talking about CS or hibernate? I've had so many on and off problems with CS through the builds and patches that I always just hibernate to err on the side of battery charge.
 

bluegrass

Well-Known Member
Philtastic said "The main problem that I've raised in this thread, however, is that I'm not confident that this will last given past history. How many weeks until Microsoft breaks something else again? I guess we'll find out."

Hey, join the club and be happy. That's life when you live on the leading edge of technology. Love it, even with the frustrations at times. If your technology is needed to put bacon on the table, than use and older technology for that and the new technology to experiment and have fun with.
 
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