Is the SurfaceBook still a viable option?

[Rickyyy369]

I am looking to buy a new device in the next few weeks and the Surface book looks like it will meet all my needs perfectly. I like that I can use it as a laptop when I need a hardware keyboard. And I like that I can use it as a tablet when I want to sit down on the couch and relax.

I noticed the CPU is a little out of date and it is missing USB-C which most new devices include these days. I've also heard of firmware issues plaguing the device in the past. Have these been resolved?

I'm just curious - if you had $1400 to spend on a device, would you buy the SurfaceBook today?

 

[DaveSimmons]

One thing to be aware of it the inside is a mass of glue to fix things in place. It is not upgradeable at all, and it is also not repairable. When the warranty is up, you just throw it in the trash.

My boss broke the power button on his, and there was no way to recover the files off his hard drive without voiding the warranty. He had enough of the files backed up that he chose the replacement over losing the warranty and attempting to extract the hard drive without damaging it.

 

[MushyNAT]

One thing to be aware of it the inside is a mass of glue to fix things in place. It is not upgradeable at all, and it is also not repairable. When the warranty is up, you just throw it in the trash.

My boss broke the power button on his, and there was no way to recover the files off his hard drive without voiding the warranty. He had enough of the files backed up that he chose the replacement over losing the warranty and attempting to extract the hard drive without damaging it.

These are all-in-one devices, they're not designed to be opened up any more than any other tablet is.

As to the OP's question, we've deployed a few of them in a corporate setting and the reception has overall been positive. I personally prefer the Surface Pro because even using the book without the keyboard attachment it's a little big for a tablet for me, but our sales guys love their Books. Unless you're looking for workstation-powerful hardware to do video rendering or heavy graphical editing or something the hardware in the Book is more than capable for your average business workload.

The only downside is how expensive they are, but that's kind of expected with a premium item competing with the MacBook Pro.

 

[DaveSimmons]

These are all-in-one devices, they're not designed to be opened up any more than any other tablet is.

Which is fine if you realize that going in, and most people expect that of the Pro. But many people think of the Book as being a laptop, and expect to be able to open up the case to upgrade the RAM or SSD, or to be able to remove the SSD without destroying it if they need to get files off of it.

It not being repairable means you really need to buy the extended warranty and accidental damage coverage, that you must have a good file backup strategy, and that you accept that when it dies outside of the warranty you just throw it away.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

These are all-in-one devices, they're not designed to be opened up any more than any other tablet is..

I have an old cheap Asus t100 transformer. I can take the back lid and change pretty much
anything. So it's not impossible. In fact, it's just priorities. Looking pretty vs being repairable

 

[accguy9009]

Which is fine if you realize that going in, and most people expect that of the Pro. But many people think of the Book as being a laptop, and expect to be able to open up the case to upgrade the RAM or SSD, or to be able to remove the SSD without destroying it if they need to get files off of it.

It not being repairable means you really need to buy the extended warranty and accidental damage coverage, that you must have a good file backup strategy, and that you accept that when it dies outside of the warranty you just throw it away.

Dave, you make a great point regarding redundancy and accidental damage coverage. With all the cloud storage options, back-up apps etc., no reason for anyone to have important docs, pics and so forth unrecoverable. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Whether or not the Surface Book is the OP'S best option is beyond my ability to determine. Most if not all of these convertible devices have a few warts. More than a few options out there.