I've made a huge mistake...

"njp1589" (njp1589) 01/06/2015 at 08:20 • Filed to: None

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So I bought a Surface Pro 3 over the holiday. Finally unboxed it and started setup last night. About an hour in I get a low battery warning. No biggie, I plug it in and let it sit while I watch some Netflix.

Well, apparently it was a biggie. It won't take a charge. And the battery is too low to do a factory reset. I now am the proud owner of a $1300 brick.

Yes, I already tried all of the techniques described in the Microsoft Support articles. No dice. I'm so defeated at this point I think I'm just going to return all the stuff I bought for it and act like it never happened. The only concern is that I already logged into everything and I don't want some asshole buying it down the line and hacking my shit or something.

Oh, and yesterday was my Birthday. So this was timed PERFECTLY.

Viper for your time;

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 08:23

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Did you buy it new? Even if it's used it should be under warranty, since it's a pretty new item.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 08:25

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Boy, Vipers are pretty at the track.

JGrabowMSt > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 08:26

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No warranty left? If you have a USB keyboard I can walk you through doing a total wipe of it before you return it.

I havent played with a Surface Pro 3, so I dont know where the battery is, but if its been on the shelf for a while, that can certainly do in a LiPo battery.

Redbulldidlo > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 08:38

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You bought it over the holiday, warranty it.

njp1589 > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 01/06/2015 at 08:44

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Yeah, I'm calling the MS store that's nearby when they open to find out what kind of options I have.

Regardless, I just want to wipe it at this point and get my money back. I'll build a desktop instead.

djmt1 > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 09:00

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How do you know it is the battery and not the brick? I say this having gone through the trouble of ordering a new battery for my laptop once only to find out the brick was actually broken.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 09:12

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Have you thought about a Mac mini? It's the quietest machine I've ever bought, you can use your PC peripherals, and you can dual boot Windows.

JGrabowMSt > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 09:16

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on a side note, does it say "plugged in, not charging"?

I would have the battery or power adapter replaced before saying theres something wrong with it that you cant troubleshoot easily yourself.

Ive seen charging circuits fail, but I would consider that pretty rare.

Coachrotte33 > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 09:18

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People always talk about the expense of Apple products, but $1300 is way more than even the top model of Ipad with a fancy case, keyboard, and $100 worth of apps. I liked the Surface I played with, but it was a top of the line model. I cannot imagine what I would do if I had one that cost the same as my Ipad 3, $349.

njp1589 > Coachrotte33 01/06/2015 at 09:32

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The thing that drew me to the surface was it's ability to run desktop level programs, to which end it is VERY capable from my limited use.

THat being said, I figured at a premium price I'd get premium hardware. I've had fewer problems with my $270 Nexus 7 over 2 years than I had with the surface in 2 hours.

njp1589 > JGrabowMSt 01/06/2015 at 09:33

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It doesn't say anything. Hitting the power button shows a black screen with a battery in a circle. No charging appears to be happening.

I can't even get into windows to try and properly shut it down at this point.

njp1589 > Where have all the lightweights gone? 01/06/2015 at 09:34

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Ehhh, it's a very nice package, but I'd rather get a little more muscle out of things for the money.

Mac Minis are super nice though. My sister was super fond of hers.

njp1589 > djmt1 01/06/2015 at 09:36

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The brick has a USB port on it that can be used to charge a phone, and that works with both the one that came with the tablet and the one that came with the OEM docking station.

Coachrotte33 > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 09:38

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I prefer the Nexus as an android option as well.

spanfucker retire bitch > Coachrotte33 01/06/2015 at 09:45

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You can't even compare an iPad and a Surface. The difference in hardware is astronomical.

njp1589 > Coachrotte33 01/06/2015 at 09:49

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I love the nexus line, but I simply can't stomach the size of the nexus 6 for a phone. Next best thing is a Moto X.

Coachrotte33 > spanfucker retire bitch 01/06/2015 at 09:52

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Then why does pretty much everyone do it, including Microsoft themselves? I agree the hardware is fundamentally different but how many people actually use it to capability? The majority of Surface owners will never use it to capacity or push its limits. If I was going to pay 1,300 I will just buy a Macbook Air and an Ipad for the same money as the fully loaded Surface. All the functionality and multi-platform usage. I am not arguing that it isn't a good machine, just that it isn't a game changer.

04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 10:03

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I like how people get one bad apple and instantly start going off about "Microsoft hardware is junk". I work for a Fortune 500 company that uses Surfaces almost exclusively as laptop replacements and none of them so far have failed. Even some of the older Surface 2s.

Its a dud. Shit happens. I've serviced plenty of Macs that have been bad out of the box or got a corrupt OS installation as well. Do as you wish, but please don't be a peasant who talks like his one experience is worth calling the entire product garbage.

JGrabowMSt > njp1589 01/06/2015 at 10:08

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If that's the case, it sounds like the power adapter is bad. I would just order one on Amazon, you'll be able to return it if all else fails, but it's the simplest way to get to the bottom of it.

No need to scrap the car if the gas tank is empty.

spanfucker retire bitch > Coachrotte33 01/06/2015 at 10:14

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Microsoft compares it to the MBA, not the iPad. The SP3 has never been compared to the iPad.

njp1589 > 04sneaky - Boxers. Blowers. Bikes. And bitches. 01/06/2015 at 10:14

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Okay, I probably jumped to conclusions saying the hardware is disapponting, but it really did frustrate me. I mean, it's very pretty and very well built, it's just totally bjorked at this point. It was really made worse that it worked for a short time and then totally died on me.

I'll admit, I'm probably due for a dud product after all the ones I've bought that I've had zero issues with. Law of averages or something.

Coachrotte33 > spanfucker retire bitch 01/06/2015 at 10:55

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Non-Microsoft (Both good and bad for each):

http://www.gizmag.com/ipad-air-vs-su…

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,281…

http://www.cnet.com/news/try-this-…

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-…

This is a very small sampling of what is out there for comparisons. Lots of people compare them, both favorably and unfavorably.

Microsoft:

Rightly so, Microsoft themselves makes the comparison to the Air ( http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-… ), and it is a very compelling argument. But, when you factor in the keyboard for added cost I feel that a second device, ala an Ipad, levels the playing field some.

Please do not think that I am demeaning the Microsoft product in anyway, just saying that some of the people decrying that it is the best and only answer are just as wrong as the Apple fanboys.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > njp1589 01/08/2015 at 14:51

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If you kept the receipt, you are probably okay for a return still.